Everyone Has a Facebook
by insaneantics21
Summary: Lucy Quinn Fabray's life has been filled with secrets and forbidden memories. The summer before her senior year she takes it in to her own hands  with a little nudging from one Rachel Berry  to solve the questions that no one will answer.
1. Chapter 1

****Appearing Characters:**** _The Fabray Family:_ Russell Fabray, Judy (Hunter) Fabray, Mr. and Mrs. Fabray [Russell's parents], The Eldest Fabray Daughter, Lucy Quinn Fabray  
><em>Surviving Hunter Family:<em> Lily Hunter [Judy's younger sister]  
><em>Lucy Quinn's Friends:<em> Rachel Berry, Santana Lopez, and Brittany Pierce  
><em>Rachel's Two Gay Dads:<em> Leroy and Hiram Berry**  
><strong>Pairings:<strong> **Rachel/Lucy Quinn, side Santana/Brittany, mentions past Rachel/Finn**  
><strong>Rating:<strong> **PG-13**  
><strong>Length:<strong> **~30,600 words**  
><strong>Summary:<strong>** Lucy Quinn Fabray's life has been filled with secrets and forbidden memories. The summer before her senior year she takes it in to her own hands (with a little nudging from one Rachel Berry) to solve the questions that no one will answer. Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce join her in the journey that leads down a path no one expected to a door that will change everything Quinn ever knew about herself.**  
><strong>Author's Note:<strong> A few thank yous:  
><strong>To Lib for making a manip that I'm not sure I'll use because my banner-making skills seem to have left my brain  
>To Alex, my Azn Cockatoo for being my guinea pig and reading the first draft and telling me it doesn't suck<br>To Jaymes because her cover of "Somewhere Only We Know" was the soundtrack to Chapters 8, 9, Epilogue, and through all of my editing. The song now has almost 60 plays on my iTunes  
>To Amanda for being an awesome supportive girlfriend and being forgiving when I'd get on a roll in writing and forget to check my phone for texts for hours on end.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>-Chapter 1-<strong>

When Lucy Quinn Fabray was born at seven pounds, eight ounces, the nurses were in awe. The small infant was absolutely gorgeous. She had a small tuft of dark hair on the top of her head, bright blue eyes, and a cry that was more melodious than it was a gasp for air. The nurse handed her to Russell Fabray and he smiled at the angel in his arms, then at his wife. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed seven year old was in the waiting room of the maternity ward with her Grandma and Grandpa Fabray anxiously awaiting the news of if she had a baby brother or sister.

Their family was perfect.

XXXXXXXXXX

At two years old, Lucy was a shy and quiet toddler. She was brilliant, mind you, but hardly social. She was ahead of all of her milestones and, even at two years old, on the fast track in life - according to her parents.

Lucy hated strangers. Her parents, big sister, and grandparents' Fabray were the only people she would ever reach for when she wanted to be held. Everyone from the ladies the Fabrays attended church with to people at the grocery store smiled in awe at the gorgeous toddler but Lucy turned away. People who knew the family found it very strange that the dark-haired girl was shy in a family of outgoing, boisterous blondes but Russell and Judy only smiled and laughed and reminded them that Judy's parents were both dark-haired and very quiet people when they were alive. Lucy was obviously more of a Hunter than a Fabray.

XXXXXXXXXX

One of Lucy's very first memories was her fourth birthday party. It was literally a circus. Russell Fabray spared no expense and rented a small carnival for his little girl and all of her pre-school friends. There were clowns, ponies, face painting, a carousel, popcorn, cotton candy, and even a baby elephant. Lucy had come out of her shell a little bit by then – the excitement of having a carnival for her birthday only helping matters. She got dresses, toys, and candy from her classmates, a pink bicycle from her parents, brand-new bedroom furniture from her grandparents...she was a little girl in heaven.

After the carnival had been packed up and her classmates long-gone, Lucy sat down to her favorite dinner of macaroni and cheese, peas, and strawberry ice cream with her parents, sister, and grandparents. It started as all of the Fabray dinners did, Lucy's father blessed the meal and her mother got up to dish out food on Lucy's plate first. The dishes were passed around and the adults talked about grown-up things; Lucy was more focused on not getting food on her brand-new dress than the conversation around her.

If you were to ask her today, Lucy doesn't remember the doorbell ringing or anyone knocking. She only remembers her father getting up and loud whispers in the foyer. She remembers her mother following and shortly thereafter and then a low throat-clearing coming from the direction of the door leading from the dining room to the living room.

"Lucy," her father's soothing voice echoed. "There's someone special here to see you."

Lucy turned around to meet stormy grey-blue eyes, dark chestnut hair, and a nervous smile on a young woman who resembled her mother. She was holding a small stuffed lamb.

"This is your aunt Lily," Judy spoke. "Mommy's sister."

"I remember you!"

Lucy jumped when her sister sprang from her seat and straight to the woman's arms. Lily's eyes never unlocked from Lucy's as she bent over to hug the excited young blonde.

"Lucy, come say hello."

Obeying her father's order, Lucy jumped down from her chair, straightened out her dress, and slowly approached her parents and her newly introduced aunt. She took a quick look back at the grandparents' Fabray who, with nervous looks, nodded for her to go.

"Hi Lucy."

The softness of Lily's voice stunned the young brunette. It was warm and almost shy, much like the girl herself. She couldn't tell anyone what it was, but there was something about this young woman that drew Lucy in. She opened her arms and was immediately pulled in and lifted up to be held close. Lucy wrapped her arms around Lily's neck and held on tight, burying her face into the crook of the woman's neck and breathing in the floral scent of lilacs like the ones that grew in her front yard.

"It feels so good to hold you," Lily whispered. "I've waited a long time."

Lucy was taken from her by her mother and, for some inexplicable reason, she cried out for Lily to come back. Lily tried to reach for her but was taken by the arm by Russell and pulled away. The last thing Lucy heard before the front door shut with a slam was Lily begging for Russell not to keep them apart any longer.

It was the last time Lucy saw her aunt Lily.

XXXXXXXXXX

When Lucy was thirteen she was enrolled in dance classes to help her drop weight. Her mother looked at her with nothing but disappointment anymore and her father was known to mumble words like "DNA" and "damn genetics" when he got drunk. Lucy tried her best and, with a little effort, she dropped the weight and gained an athletic figure just in time to be transferred to McKinley High. In the process of moving, Lucy had overheard her parents talking about burn barrels and boxes of paperwork. Curious, late one night while the house was empty, Lucy snuck into her father's study – a previously forbidden place to her.

There were boxes marked "burn" in thick, black letters. They were filled with opened greeting card envelopes, dresses, stuffed animals, dolls, pictures, and a large envelope at the bottom of one of them sealed with packing tape and marked "CONFIDENTIAL" in bold, red letters.

Lucy paid no attention to the cards or toys but went right for the pictures and the sealed envelope. The pictures were familiar: a woman with stormy grey-blue eyes and dark hair. She was very young in the pictures, Lucy would guess she was no more than fifteen or sixteen. Judy was next to her with an arm around her waist and a huge smile.

Aside from the eyes, it was like looking in a mirror. Lucy's had turned from blue to hazel a few years back but the resemblance was uncanny.

One picture was stuck at the bottom of a box, face down. Just as she reached for it and barely got it flipped over, she was pulled up by her arm out of the floor and practically thrown into her mother's arms.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Russell Fabray's voice carried through the study. "Who said you could go through this?"

"No-no one," Lucy whispered. "I was just-"

"What did you see?" he growled.

"Nothing," Lucy whispered. Lied.

"You're lying."

"Just the pictures," she said. "The ones on the floor." Judy's arms gripped tight to Lucy's biceps and she flinched a little. "Who is she? I remember her."

"No one you need to worry about," Judy said calmly. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

Lucy nodded and followed her mother out of the study and upstairs to her bedroom. While she changed into her pajamas in the en suite bathroom, she knew her mother was turning down her blankets and straightening up her room, perhaps packing a few things into boxes. She was silent as she crawled into bed.

"She's my sister, Lily," Judy said, pulling the covers up around Lucy's shoulders. "But she's not part of this family anymore. You're almost a young adult and as such, I'm asking you to please respect the decision of your father and I to keep her out of your life. She's nothing but trouble for this family."

Lucy nodded and smiled a little when her mother kissed her forehead and shut off the bedside lamp.

The next day, Lucy was able to sneak back into the study for only a moment to grab the stuffed lamb out of one of the burn boxes. Hours later, she watched from her bedroom window as the boxes were dropped into a burn barrel, save for the thick envelope which was handed back to Judy. Russell bought a safe the next day and Lucy had a fairly good idea of where that envelope ended up.

As much as she tried to forget it, the image of the picture she had half-seen at the bottom of one of the boxes was burned in her mind. She hadn't seen the picture properly but she had sworn that it was of Lily and Judy.

And Lily was pregnant.

XXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't so much Lucy's suggestion as it was her father's that she go under the knife that summer. They found a surgeon willing to do it despite Lucy's age. She healed quickly and, a few weeks before school started, her father started calling her Quinn. Two days before, her mother came home with a case of blonde hair-dye and sat Quinn down in the bathroom to let it set in.

The name change stuck and it's how she was enrolled in school at McKinley High. Her talent was immediately noticed by the cheerleading coach and Quinn started as captain as a freshman, a first in the history of Sue Sylvester's career. Quinn Fabray was hated by the upperclassmen and feared by her own classmates. Her parents were finally proud of her. Pictures of Lucy Fabray disappeared and were replaced with pictures of Quinn. The first thirteen years of her life were practically erased.

Quinn had the distinct feeling that anything left of Lucy Quinn Fabray was tucked away in her father's safe, locked in his study and with a combination unknown to anyone but the man himself.

XXXXXXXXXX

Quinn allowed herself to be repressed and brain-washed by her parents and peers. She allowed herself to be molded into what they wanted and what they expected of her. Her exterior became hardened while on the interior she held on to a connection with a woman she only ever remembered sharing one moment with, and a stuffed lamb hidden underneath her pillow.

It was only a matter of time when the exterior was shattered, though.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I needed you," Quinn choked, "I needed my mom..."

Judy Fabray looked down at the floor of the living room while Quinn made her confession, letting everything come clean.

"And you were so scared of what he would do if he found out that you just pushed it aside like we do every bad feeling in this house. If you don't talk about it, it doesn't exis-"

"Do **not**turn this on us!" Russell shouted, jumping to his feet from the brown leather sofa.

Quinn jerked a little, her mother jumped and put her hand over her chest. Quinn saw her take a deep, shaking breath.

"**You**are the disappointment here!"

"Why?" Quinn asked softly. She paused for a beat to wait for someone to cut her off but neither of her parents moved to speak. "Because I'm not a little girl anymore? Because I made a mistake?" She had a list of questions she wanted to ask, the image of a certain photograph flashing through her mind right then.

Quinn had deduced that the reason Lily wasn't spoken to anymore was because she'd gotten pregnant. She was willing to bet that Lily was sent off somewhere like she was about to be. That she had been thrown out and left for no one to care about. She wondered where the baby was now, what it was doing. If it was being raised in a loving family or of Lily still had it.

"Who are you?" Russell asked, his eyes swimming with disappointment. "I don't recognize you at all."

"I'm your daughter," Quinn pleaded. "Who loves you. And I know this must be really hard for you. But I just need my daddy to hold me and tell me that it's gonna be okay."

Quinn's heart lightened a little when Russell took a few steps toward her and then shattered again when he continued walking. She packed her things quickly and quietly, shoving the little lamb in the end pocket of her duffel bag and walking out of her house and to Finn's truck.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Push, baby!"

Quinn pulled against the restraints of her mother and her best friend, the agonizing pain of her daughter crowning ripping through her, and swore she would never go through this again. Mercedes cheered her on and her mother gripped hard onto her hand.

"Come on Quinn, push!"

"Lily..."

If it didn't feel like she was getting ready to be ripped apart, Quinn would've noticed that her mother didn't even call her by her actual first name. But, as it was, she was currently in the worst pain she had ever experienced. She kept pushing and, in a matter of minutes, she fell back on to the bed and was able to breathe. Her mother ran a wet washcloth over Quinn's forehead as everyone in the room listened to the cries of the newborn across the room.

"I want to hold her," Quinn mumbled.

Judy swallowed hard and nodded then motioned for the nurse to bring the bundle of pink over and place her in to Quinn's arms. Quinn smiled down at the baby in her arms and then up at her mother whose eyebrows were furrowed and tears were running. She only smiled when she reached over and combed through Quinn's hair with her fingers.

"You need a touch-up," she whispered.

It wasn't what Quinn thought she would be hearing from her mother but, even though her parents were well on their way to a divorce, she couldn't expect her mother to change. It was part of the reason why Quinn handed Beth over to Shelby Corcoran and never looked back. She went a year without hardly even mentioning the incident and again went back to doing what she had her entire freshman year. Like Lucy Fabray, her sophomore year was erased. Never to be mentioned.

That is until Rachel Berry decided she need to write original songs.

"You gave your baby to my mom, we kind of bonded over it, right?"

Quinn didn't miss a beat in the conversation. It flowed like she knew it would and she shoved everything down like she always did. When she told Rachel that the girl was frustrating it wasn't only because Rachel wouldn't listen about Finn but because every time Quinn looked at her it was a reminder of what she gave up. Reminders that were always repressed.

But the actual, verbal mention of Beth sparked something in Quinn that she couldn't let go of. It stayed there in the back of her mind, unable to repress.

Lauren Zises and her vengeful campaign for prom queen unleashed everything else and, yet again, Quinn's exterior was broken. She wasn't sure why she lied about whose idea it was that she go under the knife other than it might help her in the campaign to win prom queen and finally have her mother look at her with something other than a blank expression.

However, that one picture, that damn eighth grade portrait, was a reminder of everything, every memory, that Quinn hadn't been allowed to think about since the Fabrays moved to Lima. Things came flooding back to her as she tore the posters from the wall, things that added up in an eerie way but Quinn refused to think about for more than a split second.

XXXXXXXXXX

Rachel Berry. Rachel and her writing original songs and lusting after Finn...Quinn needed someone to blame for losing prom queen. She needed someone to blame for her life teetering on the edge of running off of the tracks she'd set to go through as little pain as possible in her life. Even though in the back of her mind she knew that Kurt winning was just a cruel joke by the student body, she blamed Rachel. Her frustration with everything hit a breaking point after the announcement and she snapped.

"This is your fault..."

Quinn muttered some lame excuse about Finn and losing but in reality, it was everything she had built up to that point. And she needed some way to release it all, some way to get rid of the anger and the frustration at the world for continuously trying to mess with her. Her first instinct took over and before Rachel had time to react, Quinn's palm connected with Rachel's cheek with a loud pop. The adrenaline immediately left her system upon the realization of what had just happened and Quinn shook with regret.

"I'm so sorry."

Rachel only looked at her with shock before blinking a few times, swallowing hard, and glancing to the bathroom mirror. Quinn stayed rooted where she was when Rachel turned to the mirror to inspect the damage.

"Most girls would be upset about being slapped in the face but I happen to appreciate the drama of it."

Quinn knew that Rachel was just trying to make her feel better, less guilty. Her hand stung as she was finally able to move and lean against the sink, watching out of the corner of her eye as Rachel checked over herself in the mirror. Redness in the shape of a handprint was making its presence known.

"I know you think it's hard to be you, Rachel," Quinn finally choked out, "at least you don't have to be terrified all the time."

Rachel ran a paper towel under the faucet, Quinn still watched in her peripheral vision.

"What are you so scared of?" Rachel asked quietly. She handed the wet paper towel over and, with the slightest of touches against Rachel's hand, Quinn took it.

"The future." The truth. "When all of this is gone." The truth, in an abstract way.

"You're a very pretty girl, Quinn. The prettiest girl I've ever met. But you're a lot more than that."

Even with being vague, Rachel somehow managed to slip in what Quinn had questioned for most of her life. What _was_ she? What was she beyond the pretty face? Beyond the nose job? Beyond the box-blonde hair?


	2. Chapter 2

**-Chapter 2-**  
>Quinn was simultaneously looking forward to and dreading summer. Her mother wasn't around much anymore which meant she'd have the house to herself. It was mostly empty, her father having taken anything of significant value. Her friends would all be on vacation throughout the summer leaving Quinn in her empty house. At least she had the pool.<p>

Unfortunately, the pool only provided entertainment for a week before Quinn was bored. She'd thought about getting a summer job but the only place she could find was McDonald's and that wasn't an option she wanted to consider. She took to painting her bedroom, getting rid of the purple wallpaper and opting for bright yellow paint. That only bought her another week.

By day three of the third week of vacation she was out of options. She'd read and watched movies all the summer before which ruled all of those out. Everyone was still on vacation. The pool pump had broken. Quinn took to watching Food Network and teaching herself how to cook something other than things that came from a can or box. By the end of the week her mother said that it got too expensive for Quinn to be cooking elaborate meals and thus ended that adventure.

Almost desperate enough to apply at McDonald's, Quinn made one last-ditch effort at beating her boredom by buying a book on quilting. She threw it in the fireplace when she discovered the entire first chapter was about baby blankets. As she stoked the flames, there was a knock at the front door and Quinn practically ran to it. Even a few words with a UPS man would be better than nothing. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Good afternoon, Quinn."

Quinn dropped her shoulders and her smile at the sight of Rachel Berry standing on her front porch with a box. She had forgiven Rachel for Nationals and it was becoming more and more bearable to look at her without being reminded of Beth. The baby was better off with Shelby than in the tensions that the Fabray house still held.

"Hi."

"Sorry to interrupt your morning like this but I was using the school auditorium to practice and found a few of your things between some of the curtains and thought you might like them back."

Quirking an eyebrow, Quinn peered into the box to see two of her sweaters she'd been missing, a pair of shoes, her chemistry notebook, and her Lucy Caboosey shirt. She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head.

"It was probably Santana," she said, taking the box out of Rachel's hands.

"That's incredibly rude."

"It's just how she is." Quinn shrugged and rocked on the balls of her feet, her eyes darting anywhere but Rachel. Awkward silence hung in the air for a few minutes before Rachel spoke again.

"I suppose I'll see you later."

"Do you want to come in?" Quinn blurted out. She stared at the floor for a few seconds before cautiously looking up and at Rachel's bright smile and eager eyes.

"Sure!"

Quinn stepped out of the way, sliding in her socks across the marble in the foyer as she let Rachel step inside. The idea of Rachel Berry being in her house made her happier than she should have been, Quinn thought, but anything was better than nothing.

"What have you been doing this summer?" Rachel asked as Quinn led her into the living room. "And why do you have a fire going? It's almost ninety degrees outside."

"I tried to learn how to quilt. It didn't go so well." Quinn tossed the box of her items on one of the couches and motioned for Rachel to follow her to the kitchen where there wasn't heat making the room unbearable. Rachel made herself at home by hopping up on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island.

"I attempted to learn a few summers ago and I simply don't have the patience for it. I prefer more action-based activity."

"Do you want anything to drink? Or food or something?"

"I'm alright, thank you."

Quinn shrugged and hopped up on the bar stool next to Rachel. To break the silence she grabbed the sound system remote and turned it on to whatever radio station she could find that wasn't whatever political bull her mother listened to.

"How has your summer been?" Rachel asked.

"Boring. Yours?"

"The same. The Hudson-Hummel family has decided to take an extended vacation to the former Mrs. Hummel's mother's home. Kurt is very close to her, I understand, and so she offered for them to spend the summer with her to get to know Carole and Finn."

"Hm." Quinn nodded absentmindedly, watching Rachel out of the corner of her eye. The brunette caught her gaze momentarily and dropped her head.

"I apologize. I'm sure you don't want to hear about that."

Quinn only shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about it." She'd given up after Nationals. There was no real point in caring about any of it anymore. She could barely handle her own life lately, anyway, let alone Finn-the-boy-wonder who had to be watched closely at all times.

"Your new haircut looks very nice. You look very mature."

"Thanks." Quinn looked up to finally meet Rachel's eyes and they both smiled until Rachel let out a soft giggle and Quinn did the same.

"This is sufficiently awkward," Rachel noted.

"It doesn't have to be. I mean...You're the only person I've seen this summer and I don't think anyone else would've cared enough to give me back my things after everything that's happened."

"You're very right. We're on the verge of senior year and we're practically adults now. I propose we put the past behind us and start anew."

Quinn raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "Okay."

"Rachel Barbra Berry," Rachel said, extending her hand.

Taking it in her own, Quinn took a deep breath. "Lucy Quinn Fabray," she said softly.

"What do I call you?"

"I don't know?"

"Well it's very obvious that Lucy holds unpleasant memories for you and Quinn represents a person you honestly didn't want to be."

"Well," Quinn said, "Lucy was a better person than Quinn. But Quinn had her perks."

"It's settled then. Lucy Q."

"Seriously? You're going to call me that?"

"It's the best of both worlds, is it not?"

"Lucy Q it is," Quinn said with a nod. "But only when it's us."

Rachel's excitement showed in her eyes as her mouth split into a wide grin. "Our first official friendship secret!"

"Is it that exciting?"

"Well, considering I've never had that, it is."

Aside from whatever was playing on the radio, it was quiet for a few seconds. Rachel remedied it by jumping off of the bar stool (her hand still in Quinn's, oddly) and pulling the blonde back to the front door.

"What are you doing?" Quinn inquired.

"You need shoes. I want you to meet my dads."

"Your dads?"

"Yes. They both have the day off today and I thought perhaps you could come meet them."

"Don't they hate me?"

Rachel tilted her head at that, her hand tightening on Quinn's. "Why would they?"

"I don't know. I guess I thought maybe you told them everything horrible I've ever said to you."

"It's a new beginning, Lucy Q. My dads are the ones who taught me that when you start over, it's a clean slate."

Quinn nodded. "Trust me, I understand that concept," she mumbled.

The drive to the Berry house wasn't going to be that long; Rachel only lived a few streets down. It was in walking distance but Rachel, proud owner of a new pre-owned silver Honda Accord, was more than willing to drive.

"It was a gift from my dads for once again having a perfect GPA," Rachel said happily as she checked her mirrors. "And also for placing twelfth at Nationals. The passenger side window switch doesn't work but other than that, Bernadette is in fabulous condition."

"Bernadette?"

Rachel nodded as she set the radio station. "Named after Bernadette Peters, Broadway legend."

"No, I know who she is...I just wouldn't have thought to name a car after her."

"Most of my inanimate objects are named."

"That's...interesting."

Rachel nodded and made an affirmative noise as she turned the car on and then shifted to back out of the driveway. She was overly cautious as she made the right turn out of Quinn's driveway and then a left on to North Cole and the two blocks down to Wayne Street where she turned again and pulled into the driveway of her house.

"Remember, Lucy Q," Rachel said with a smile, "clean slate."

"I think I can handle it."

Quinn followed Rachel up the front steps and through the front door where Rachel was greeted with shouts from her dads that they were in the kitchen. Rachel bounced in and hugged each of them like she hadn't seen them in a week and the two men returned the enthusiasm while Quinn stood awkwardly in the doorway. Genuine parental affection wasn't exactly something she was used to.

"Dad, Daddy," Rachel said, bouncing back to Quinn, "this is my friend Quinn Fabray. Quinn, these are my dads."

"Good morning Mr. and Mr. Berry," Quinn half-whispered.

"Quinn Fabray, hm?" The shorter man raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest.

Quinn nodded.

"Quinn hand I have mutually agreed that it is best to start with a clean slate going in to our senior year. The past is the past and we're moving on from it."

"If that's what you think is best," the taller man said, "then you know we'll trust you."

"Thank you, Daddy."

"You can call me Leroy," he said to Quinn.

"And I'm Hiram."

Quinn smiled and let herself be pulled in to the kitchen by Rachel and to the counter to fix herself a sandwich for lunch and, unlike meals at the Fabray house, Quinn actually felt like she could eat without being judged. It was almost as if she felt more comfortable in the Berry house than in her own. Judy called early that afternoon to tell Quinn she'd be late getting home because she was having dinner with her book club, a normal occurrence. Rachel invited her to stay for dinner – Chinese takeout. Quinn accepted because her only other option was what little rice was left in the kitchen cabinet.

It didn't take long for Quinn to kind of attach herself to Rachel and Rachel didn't seem to mind at all. Neither of them had anyone else to really rely on outside of their family and it seemed as though Rachel relied on herself in that situation, too. Rachel said they were both either always working or at conventions having to do with work, leaving her to fend for herself.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I think my mother avoids me most of the time," Quinn sighed.

They were having ice cream (vegan friendly for Rachel, of course) on the Berry's screened-in back porch two weeks after the day Rachel showed up on Quinn's doorstep. They'd spent time together every single day since then.

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know. I guess she just works a lot and wants to be social. And I'm a disappointment."

"I'm not sure how anyone could ever see you as a disappointment, Lucy Q. You're incredibly resilient."

"Sometimes I don't think getting pregnant is why she thinks that way."

This apparently piqued Rachel's interest because Quinn watched her furrow her eyebrows and purse her lips, a sign that she was thinking. It didn't take much time to get used to Rachel and all of the things that used to annoy Quinn. It took even less time to learn pretty much exactly what Rachel was thinking or feeling at any particular moment. She didn't hide anything and even when she tried, it didn't work.

"What?" Quinn finally asked after Rachel went back to focusing on her ice cream.

"You've never really mentioned it before."

"Mentioned what?"

"Being pregnant."

"Oh." Quinn's mouth went dry and she suddenly found the ice cream in her bowl incredibly unappetizing. "I try not to think about it." And almost all other aspects of her life.

"I find that hard to believe," Rachel said. "Something of that emotional caliber can't be easy to contain."

"It's easy when that's what you've been trained to do."

"Well, perhaps you could tell me about it."

"I don't talk to anyone about it."

"Clearly. Which is why I offered."

Quinn felt her defenses begin to rise, defenses that kept her from ever speaking to anyone about anything remotely off the path her life was and is supposed to take.

"I don't need to talk," Quinn snapped. "I just ignore it."

"Lucy Q..."

"Don't call me that." Quinn tossed her bowl on the table and stormed off the porch and into the Berrys' kitchen, headed for the front door. As much as she tried to fight it, she was getting angry at Rachel for bringing up things that were to be forgotten. It was ingrained so deep in her to forget anything remotely bad that, even when she wanted to talk, she couldn't.

"Wait!"

Quinn didn't stop until Rachel's hand was on her arm, all too reminiscent of prom night.

"Just leave it alone, Rachel!"

"Please Luc-"

"Stop it!" Quinn spun around and felt a familiar twitch in her arm. "This was a bad idea."

"What?"

"All of it," she lied. "You, me...how could I have been so stupid to think we could actually be friends?" Another lie. "I'm leaving. Please just leave me alone, okay?" Quinn wrenched herself from Rachel's grip and headed toward the front door.

Rachel,, obviously determined not to give up, followed her all the way outside and halfway down the block, still talking.

"You had a baby, Quinn. You had a baby and you gave her to _my_ mother. Do you honestly think that didn't affect me in the slightest? Do you honestly think it didn't affect _you_? You're different, you have been since the day Finn found out the truth. No one goes through that and doesn't change."

"Stop it!" Quinn yelled back. "Just shut up!"

"Not until you talk to me!"

Quinn kept walking. She didn't look back or hardly even listen while Rachel called out her name. Soon the voice stopped and Quinn was alone. She stared at the concrete sidewalk, moving quickly, navigating back to her own house. The lights were on when she got home and there were cars parked out front of her house, it was her mother's turn to host the book club that night. To avoid any confrontation, Quinn slipped in the back door and up the back staircase to her room.

She was still alone. And more so than she had been for weeks. But, like everything else, she tried to shove it away.

It didn't work and Quinn cried herself to sleep clutching on to the stuffed lamb under her pillow.

She was still alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**-Chapter 3-**

Quinn's eyes burned and her throat was raw when she woke in the morning. It was to the smell of coffee, signaling that her mother was awake and downstairs. After splashing cold water on her face and doing the best to get the redness out of her eyes, Quinn slowly descended the stairs into the kitchen.

"Good morning," Judy said from behind her newspaper.

"Morning."

While her mother sipped her coffee, Quinn searched the refrigerator and finally found an almost empty carton of orange juice. In the freezer were the last two frozen waffles which she stuck in the toaster and stared at while listening to the rustle of newspaper.

"I'm going to the store later, is there anything you need?"

"Not really. Stuff to eat."

"The lawyers called yesterday, the divorce is finally going to a judge. Your father can't put it off any more; the hearing is next week."

"Okay." Quinn pulled her waffles out of the toaster and grabbed her orange juice. She perched herself on a bar stool and waited for the waffles to cool. "Do I need to go?"

"Only for the custody hearing if he contests giving me full custody."

"I'll be eighteen in a few months, does it really matter?"

"I'm not sure. I know I'll get child support until then. We'll use it to get you some new clothes for school."

Quinn shrugged. "I like my clothes."

"Okay sweetie." Judy finally looked up from her newspaper. "You need your roots touched up."

"I was thinking I might just let them grow out."

"Why would you do that?"

"Maybe it's time for a change." Despite it still being hot, Quinn picked up one of her waffles and began eating, hoping to quiet her mother. It didn't work.

"You already got that horrid haircut. I don't see what the appeal is."

"I like my haircut."

"It was that Lopez girl's idea."

"What's your point?"

"You know what my point is. People are going to start assuming things about you if you keep hanging around with her."

"Like what?"

"You know what."

"Because she likes girls?"

"Precisely."

Quinn could only growl and grab her plate and glass to go to the dining room.

"You're not one of them are you, Quinnie?"

"Wouldn't matter if I was or not. I'll never be good enough for you."

There was no response from her mother and Quinn retreated to the dining room to finish her breakfast. Quinn heard her mother head up the back stairs and she took that opportunity to take her plate and glass back to the kitchen before going around and upstairs to her own bedroom. She checked her phone for the first time since the morning before and found several texts and missed calls from Rachel. Her thumb hovered over the red button to ignore all of the voicemails but instead she went ahead and listened.

"_Luc—Quinn, it's Rachel Berry. I'm not going to apologize because I believe we both know that I'm right and you need someone to talk to. I understand your anger toward me for pushing, I suppose I should've let it happen naturally rather than urging you to open up. I'm still available to talk if you need."_

_"Quinn, it's Rachel Berry. I'm concerned that I haven't heard from you. I know there's only a short distance between our houses but nearly anything can happen. Please inform me of your whereabouts so that I may cease worrying."_

_"It's Rachel again. I'm going to assume that you made it home safely considering I drove the route you were walking and didn't see a body by the side of the road and your bedroom light was on."_

_"Quinn, it's Rachel Berry. Is four voicemails excessive? In the event that you haven't received any of my text messages I just wanted you to know that I'll be home all day today should you want to come by at any time. Or you can return my call or my texts. Or send a carrier pigeon."_

Quinn sighed as she erased her voicemails and began going through her texts. They were all from Rachel, of course. And they basically said the same things as her voicemails. She tossed her phone on her bed and followed with a flop, her head hitting the stuffed lamb that she had clutched on to all night. She plucked the lamb out from under her head and stared up at it, inspecting it like it held the secrets of the universe. She didn't find a thing except the tag on its rear leg, the washing instructions faded.

"Lily," Quinn whispered. The mere sound of the almost foreign name sent a tingle up Quinn's spine. "Who are you?" she asked the lamb, again hoping for answers. When nothing came she clutched the animal close and closed her eyes tightly, squeezing it with everything she had.

"Who am I?" she choked.

XXXXXXXXXX

She wasn't sure how she ended up there but Quinn opened her eyes to see a forest all around her, the sun peeking through the trees. A woman with chestnut hair and grey-blue eyes stood at the edge of the forest with a wide smile and her arms outstretched.

"Lucy," Lily called.

"Lily," she whispered. With a wide grin she took off in a sprint but the further she got, the further away Lily moved. Quinn kept running but Lily eventually faded into darkness leaving Quinn alone. Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere, Quinn dropped to the forest floor and waited for someone to find her.

"Lucy Q?" a soft voice called for her.

"Rachel?"

Out of the dark appeared Rachel, almost floating, as she moved toward Quinn and reached out a hand.

"Come on, you're missing it!"

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows and reached out to take Rachel's hand and be led out of the forest to a huge carnival appearing out of thin air. They had the place to themselves, not another soul was in sight. There were food stands, rides, games...Rachel pulled her past the popcorn and cotton candy stands through the empty carnival grounds to the carousel; Quinn eagerly jumped up on a horse, Rachel right beside her. The ride started, the jingle of the music filling Quinn's ears along with hers and Rachel's laughter.

The carousel began to spin faster, showing no signs of slowing down, and before long everything was blurring and the centrifugal force was pulling Quinn off. She reached for Rachel who, with a look of panic, was desperately trying to reach for Quinn's hand but could never quite reach.

"Stop!" Quinn cried out. "Make it stop!"

It was no use. The carousel was spinning out of control and Quinn felt herself being thrown off of it and falling...

Quinn's eyes snapped open and she gasped for air, jerking herself awake. She looked around to find herself in her room before sitting up slowly. She felt a little nauseated and a little dizzy but it quickly faded. A quick glance at her phone told her she'd only been asleep for a few minutes but before she could put it down it began to vibrate with Rachel's name and number flashing on the screen. Quinn shook a little before she hit the green button and brought the phone up to her ear.

"Hi Rachel."

"Quinn...I wasn't expecting you to answer."

"Yeah. I just...haven't had my phone with me."

"Are you alright? You sound tired."

"I just woke up. Weird dream."

"Oh. Well...I've done some dream interpretation before; if you'd like me to-"

"I think I know what it meant but thanks."

"That's good. Sometimes our subconscious can be very direct in our dreams. Was it anything exciting?"

"I think my subconscious is trying to tell me that my life is spinning out of control."

"What was the imagery? Was it abstract? For instance I know that-"

"I was on a carousel and literally spinning out of control."

"That's very direct."

"Before that I was lost in the woods or something. You, uh...you found me." Quinn looked down at her lamb and picked it up, hugging it tight to her chest. "I'm guessing it means I need to stop being a bitch and let you help me."

"That's an interesting interpretation. How did you end up lost in a forest?"

Quinn hesitated for a moment before taking a shaky breath. "It's complicated."

"Well, perhaps someday you can work through your defense issues and talk to me about it. Until then, there is a matinee production of _Annie_ happening at the community theater. I'm sure it will be no more than mediocre due to their decision not to let me play in the role of Grace Farrell. However, as an avid supporter of the arts, I have decided to attend one of their productions this summer."

"So you're asking me to go with you?" Quinn asked, springing up from her bed and immediately going to her closet to rummage for something to wear.

"If you like. And possibly we could have lunch afterward."

"That sounds great, Rachel."

"I'll pick you up in half an hour, is that satisfactory?"

Quinn pulled one of the few pairs of jeans she owned out of her closet and a red t-shirt. "Yeah, I should be ready."

"I'll see you in a few minutes, then, Lucy Q."

The grin on Quinn's face literally made her cheeks hurt and with a giggle she said her goodbye and darted to the bathroom to get ready.

Rachel was right, the production was horrible. It seemed as though they had no more than two or three rehearsals before performing. Cast members missed cues and lines, the right track was never played and the lighting cues were off. Rachel walked out of the theater with a triumphant smirk; Quinn followed behind chuckling at Rachel's defiance. They went to Subway for lunch – one of the only vegan friendly places to eat. While Quinn enjoyed her meatball marinara, Rachel rolled her eyes and dove in to her veggie delight.

"So," Rachel said, putting down her sandwich and reaching for her water. "Your dream last night."

"Yeah?"

"How did you end up in the forest?"

Quinn's stomach lurched and she dropped her sandwich. She reached in to her purse hanging on the back of her chair and her fingers found the small stuffed lamb she'd put in it before Rachel picked her up. Rachel's eyes darted down to the purse and then back up as she looked at Quinn expectantly.

"Someone I knew was there."

"An old friend?"

"My mom's sister."

"Are you close with her?"

"I've only met her once. On my fourth birthday."

"That's very peculiar."

"Have you ever met someone and just known that...just know they're someone you're connected to? You know?"

Rachel's shoulders dropped, as did her eyes back to her sandwich. Quinn could tell she'd inadvertently struck some kind of nerve.

"Rachel?"

"It's the way I felt when I heard Shelby sing that afternoon in the auditorium," Rachel mumbled.

Quinn's eyes darted around the restaurant, people coming in for the lunch hour rush. She rolled up her sandwich in the paper and motioned for Rachel to do the same.

"We should talk about this somewhere else," Quinn said, slipping the remainder of her sandwich in the bag.

Rachel nodded.

The drive to the Berry house was quiet as were the first few minutes of settling down at the kitchen table with the remainder of the sandwiches.

"As soon as she began singing," Rachel spoke first, "...Jesse planted this tape with some of my things and it had Shelby singing on it so I knew in the auditorium that it was her. I felt the connection but after a while it grew weaker, especially when she admitted that I wasn't what she wanted."

"And I rubbed salt in it."

Rachel shrugged. "No one expected you to keep her. In a way I suppose it's better than giving her to strangers. I know that Shelby will be a good mother to her."

"She just turned one," Quinn murmured. "She might be walking or saying a few words and I don't even know it."

"I'm sure she's brilliant. When she gets older she'll test her limits just like Noah but she'll be extraordinarily talented."

Quinn attempted to push back the tears threatening to fall from her eyes but she failed miserably. She half smiled and Rachel reached across the table to dry her eyes.

"You really think so?"

"Definitely, seeing as how she has your genetics."

"Thank you," Quinn whispered, leaning in to Rachel's touch. "I'm sorry...just...for everything. For treating you the way I did, for yesterday."

"Water under the bridge. I understand your frustrations and your anger. You build up all of these defenses and then it seems like the world will do anything to test them until you finally crumble. I spent last summer in intensive therapy twice a week."

"It really messed you up?"

"All my life, all I've wanted is to be loved. I know my dads love me but I wanted a mother. Someone to talk to about girl things. Daddy did do a year at cosmetology school before getting in to business management so he did a wonderful job with my hair – and eventually my makeup – but there are some things a girl needs a mother for. Books and pamphlets can only explain so much."

Quinn nodded, intent on listening.

"Finding Shelby was amazing for a while but I wasn't what she wanted. She wanted to start fresh with a clean slate. She didn't want to learn about me, she wanted to have a hand in creating someone. In bringing a child up and into the world on her own. In time I learned that I will always have a connection with her and I'll always want her as a part of my life but I also should appreciate what I have and look forward into the future when I'm an EGOT winner and a mother. Perhaps later down the line she and I can have a relationship but only when it won't be confusing and conflicting to my teenage hormones and ideals of a mother/daughter relationship."

"Wow," was all Quinn could manage to say.

"I apologize for my loquaciousness."

"No, it's just that I don't think I've ever said that many words in one shot before. It's impressive."

Rachel cracked a smile. "I'm on the speech and debate team."

"So you're pretty much settled with the Shelby thing?"

Rachel nodded. "I met her, which was my ultimate goal. I'll never have the relationship with her that I've fantasized about for so long but maybe someday we can at least have lunch every now and then and she'll possibly get to know my future offspring. It will also make for a spectacular biographical movie musical. Or perhaps a musical television series."

"A musical television series? Really? Has that ever worked?"

"Not to know my knowledge. But if it were to be starring me or a replica of me I believe it could be quite brilliant."

"If you say so," Quinn chuckled.

"So what else do you know about this aunt?"

Quinn shrugged. "My mother doesn't want her around even though she's her own sister."

"Have you ever tried to find her?"

"I-" before the words could come out of Quinn's mouth the front door slammed and she jumped, dropping her sandwich. Her heart raced as she listened to Hiram call out to Rachel that he was home.

"We're in the kitchen, Dad."

Hiram appeared in the doorway looking exhausted beyond belief. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

"I've got a migraine; I'm going to lay down for a while."

"We'll be quiet, promise," Rachel said. "Have you taken anything?"

"On my way now," he said. "You girls have a nice afternoon."

Both Quinn and Rachel nodded, waiting in silence as they listened for a bedroom door to shut. A few more seconds ticked by, Quinn's eyes still focused on the kitchen door, until Rachel spoke lowly.

"Facebook," Rachel said. "Everyone has a Facebook."

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows, the idea actually coming to her for the first time. While she'd searched for clues in her own house about the whereabouts of the mystery woman haunting her mind, she'd never actually thought to search the internet.

"What would I say to her? 'Hi, I'm Qu-Lucy Fabray, your niece'?"

"It's a start," Rachel said with a shrug.

"What if she's married? What if I don't find her?"

"You never know until you try."

Quinn literally held her breath for the minute that it took Rachel to race upstairs to her room and back down again, laptop in her arms. Rachel pulled up the internet and, with a small and reassuring smile, pushed the computer toward Quinn. The blonde navigated her finger over the track pad to click on the Facebook quick link at the top of the browser window and waited for the site to pop up. Her fingers hovered over the keys as the main page appeared and she chuckled a little as she erased from the e-mail field and replaced it with . Rachel turned her head as Quinn punched in her password (_lucyquinnfabray_...which she thought briefly she should probably change since the truth had come out) and hit 'enter'.

"I know this seems terrifying right now," Rachel said, "but if you don't, you'll always wonder."

"I know."

Rachel smiled another soft, sweet, reassuring smile and placed a hand on Quinn's as her fingers hovered over the keys, ready to type.

"Lily Hunter," Quinn spoke as her fingers moved quickly. Another tap on the 'enter' key revealed several results. "I didn't think it'd be a common name."

Rachel shrugged. "I guess just look at the pictures. See if you recognize anything."

Quinn scrolled and recognized nothing. No brown hair with stormy grey-blue eyes. She clicked to show more results and again, nothing. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest as she kept scrolling, kept searching, her eyes quickly landing on each picture before moving on. A few times a head of dark brown hair caught her eyes but each time there was nothing. No spark, no memory.

"Lucy Q..."

"How can she not be on here?" Quinn whimpered. "Everyone is on Facebook!"

"We'll search elsewhere. This is just the beginning."

When the site wouldn't let her scroll anymore, Quinn slammed the laptop shut and gasped for air, tears prickling her eyes. She felt so, so close. So close to figuring it all out. So close to finding the key to her past. The key to who she was. Who she could be.

"There are so many other places we can look. Surely there's something, some remnant in your house. People don't just disappear. They're not erased."

"I was."

"No you weren't," Rachel said, moving her hand back over Quinn's. "If you had been, Lauren would never have found you, Lucy Q."

"I guess you're right."

"Keep that in mind," Rachel said with a smile. "I believe this occasion calls for some ice cream."


	4. Chapter 4

**-Chapter 4-**

Two days and searches in MySpace and Twitter later, Quinn was losing hope. She had told Rachel about the packet of papers, the only known remnants that she was aware of, and neither of them knew how to break into safes.

"I don't even know if they're still in there," Quinn sighed, shutting her laptop and tossing it on her bed. "He didn't take it with him, it's bolted to the floor in his den."

"We could always call Noah."

"Puck? Seriously?"

"Well, he's a convicted delinquent and we know he can break locks."

"So can I but that was a file cabinet lock. Seriously, anyone with a bobby pin and two hands can open a locker or whatever."

Rachel nodded, wide eyed. "That explains the frogs in my locker in sixth grade."

"Rachel, that isn't helping!"

Quinn stood, anger boiling in her stomach, her defenses moving toward pushing Rachel away. Again.

"I-I'm sorry..."

"No," Quinn sighed, shoving her walls back down. "No, it's not you. I'm just frustrated."

"Oh?"

There was a distinct smile in Rachel's voice, Quinn snapped her head down to look at the brunette sitting on her floor with a photo album Quinn had kept under bed on Rachel's lap, baby pictures of Quinn splaying the pages.

"What? Why are you smiling?"

"It's just that you've come a long way. Usually when you get upset you let your defenses take control and you storm out in a rage or become overwhelmed with tears and emotions. You're rather calm right now after an almost outburst."

"I'm trying."

"Well, you're succeeding." Rachel shut the album and tucked it back in its place. "Now, how do we get into that safe?"

"Dynamite?"

"Inside the house, Lucy Q? Are you insane?"

"Well! I don't have the money for a locksmith and neither of us knows how to pick safe locks. What else are we supposed to do?"

"Have you tried any combinations? Birthdates? Anniversaries? Statistically speaking, it's probably a number that's familiar."

"I guess it's worth a shot."

Quinn was down the stairs and in her father's den in record time, Rachel on her heels. She skidded to a halt in front of the closet and pulled the door open with such force that a cloud of dust followed, the closet not having been opened since Russell Fabray moved out. The closet was empty, save for the small, square safe in the back.

"Parents anniversary?" Rachel asked.

Quinn thought for a moment before dropping to her knees and reaching in, barely enough light coming in from the den to the closet to illuminate the tiny numbers on the dial.

"Five, seventeen, eighty five." Quinn spun the dial, took a deep breath, and pushed the handle. Locked.

"Father's birthday?"

Quinn kept spinning. Father's birthday. Mother's birthday. Older sister's birthday. Quinn's birthday. The handle remained locked try after try. Frustrated, Quinn jerked the handle and rattled the safe, willing for it to fall apart in her hands. The safe stayed where it was, not budging an inch and almost mocking Quinn just with its very existence.

"Apparently your father defies all statistics."

"Something like that, yeah."

"Are there any other dates of significance you can possibly think of?"

Quinn shook her head, defeated. "Nothing."

"There are many other avenues-"

"Forget about it, Rachel." Quinn leaned back against the closet wall and dropped her head back, a distinct thud resonated in the small space. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Rachel joined her in the closet, pulling her knees up to her chest and settling her chin on them.

"Lucy Q, you have to keep going. There's the hospital where you were born, county courthouse for records, your grandparents. This isn't over."

"It's just frustrating. All I want to know is who I am." A few tears escaped from Quinn's eyes and dripped down her cheeks. She didn't bother wiping them away because she knew that only more would come. "Is it too much to ask to want to know that?"

"DNA doesn't have everything to do with who you are, you know?"

"I just want to know about where I came from."

"I fully understand that. Perhaps we should brainstorm over ice cream."

A refraction of light caught Quinn's eye, the source being a brandy glass left on a shelf with the sunlight hitting it just right.

"I have a better idea," Quinn said, crawling out of the closet and dusting her jeans off as she stood. She offered a hand to Rachel, who took it readily, and shut the closet door behind the pair as soon as she got her balance. "Come on."

Quinn practically jogged through the house, ignoring Rachel's questions, as she headed for the kitchen. She reached up on top of the refrigerator and felt around until she found the small key she'd seen her parents place there hundreds of times. She didn't hesitate for a moment, shoving the key into the lock on the liquor cabinet and prying the doors open. The bottles of liquor sat unmoved from when she saw them the night before as her mother returned a bottle of brandy.

"Lucy Q..."

"She won't notice."

"Yes but, if you recall, the last time-"

"I just want something stronger than ice cream." Quinn spun around and raised her eyebrows at her friend, her fingers hanging on the edge of the shelf. "You in?" She saw the hesitation in Rachel's eyes before the brunette nodded.

"Not too much, though."

"Yeah. Come on." Quinn grabbed a bottle of vodka out of the liquor cabinet and orange juice out of the refrigerator to start mixing.

Two very large screwdrivers later and a third in her hand, Quinn stumbled toward the living room with Rachel following. The brunette had downed two large drinks of her own but cut it off at that citing liver function and brain cells or something. Quinn wasn't paying attention. The pair collapsed on one of the couches, Rachel leaning over on Quinn and settling her head on the blonde's shoulder.

"You're very pretty, Lucy Q," Rachel slurred. "I mean it. You're _hic_so pretty."

"I know. So are you. Like...why would _-hic-_you get a nose job?"

"Because I wanted to be pretty like you!"

Rachel flung her arms around Quinn's side, the orange juice and vodka mixture in her glass sloshing onto the floor. It induced a fit of giggles and both girls collapsed on their sides; Quinn's cup hit the floor, its contents spilling out.

"Oh shit," Quinn gasped, attempting to sit up against Rachel's almost dead weight. "I...I have to clean that."

"You can't clean. You're drunk." Rachel giggled and reached up to touch Quinn's nose – missing and hitting her cheek instead.

"_You're_drunk!"

"Finn kept taking me to parties," Rachel groaned. "I don't like parties. All he did was try to _-hic-_feel me up."

"What the hell is up with you two? Like," Quinn held back bile rising in her throat and took a deep breath, trying to get through whatever was going to come out of her mouth. "You haven't talked to him or whatever."

"I decided since he'll be gone all summer that we should discom- discor- dis-um...We should not be together until school starts."

"So you're single?"

"Sure!"

"Huh."

Quinn found herself turning on her back while Rachel attempted to remain on the couch. It ended up with Rachel on top of her, the brunettes arms on either side of Quinn's head on the couch armrest and her face just inches from the blonde's.

"You're so pretty," Rachel whispered.

"You smell like orange."

Neither was sure who moved first but it ended with Rachel's lips on Quinn's and her tongue in Quinn's mouth. Quinn's hands roamed, settling on Rachel's hips and holding on tight because even in her drunken haze she was somewhat aware of what was happening. Half of her screamed to stop but the other half, the half she succumbed to, told her to just see what happened. The kisses were sloppy and the taste of orange juice and alcohol lingered between them but Quinn didn't care and Rachel didn't seem to mind, either. Rachel pulled away first, licking her lips as she opened her eyes.

"You taste like orange," Rachel said, her voice low and raspy. "Tastes good."

"You too."

Quinn pulled Rachel back in and again, lips met lips and tongues met tongues in a heated duel for dominance. Soft skin met soft skin in an electric touch as Quinn moved her fingertips up Rachel's shirt and spread her hands flat against the girl's back. Rachel's skin was warm and amazing to the touch as her muscles moved and twitched under Quinn's palms.

"Quinn!"

The screech of her mother's voice jerked Quinn out of her drunken haze and she sat up quickly, shoving Rachel to the opposite end of the couch. Her head throbbed and her stomach churned as she tried to focus, looking for her mother. Her eyes finally landed on the furious woman, standing in the kitchen doorway holding the almost empty vodka bottle.

"Mom, I- we...it was just..."

"Rachel Berry, I presume?"

Rachel nodded at Judy Fabray's question but, apparently, the movement was too much for her and Quinn watched as she gripped onto her stomach and search for the nearest vessel in which to empty her stomach. Which happened to be a large, clay pot holding a ficus tree.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Fabray," Rachel groaned.

"I think you need to call someone to take you home, Rachel."

"Should I clean-"

"I'll just throw it all away. Please call someone. You may wait in the foyer; Quinn, go upstairs."

"Mom-"

"Now."

Quinn nodded and stumbled out to the foyer and took the first step up before she was stopped by a hand on her arm. Rachel's eyes were wide with worry and filled with tears, her bottom lip between her teeth and her body shaking a little.

"You won't tell anyone about this, will you?"

"About?"

"You know what, Quinn."

Taken aback at the sudden use of her name, Quinn pulled her arm from Rachel's grip and shook her head.

"I won't."

Rachel nodded and turned, heading out the front door and taking her phone out of her pocket as she went. Quinn stumbled up the stairs, making her way to her room and finally collapsing on her bed. Her stomach was churning and her head felt like it was spinning; she closed her eyes and attempted to keep the contents of her stomach where they belonged as she dozed off.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning Quinn made her way down the stairs slowly after taking aspirin and chugging three glasses of water in her bathroom. As she descended the stairs she desperately tried to stall time to avoid her mother. Seeing as how it was a Saturday, it didn't work. Her mother was in the kitchen, the liquor cabinet locked and the kitchen looking as pristine as it did the morning before. Quinn had a sneaking suspicion that the key was no longer on top of the refrigerator.

"Good morning," Judy said before bringing her coffee cup to her lips. "We're out of orange juice but there's coffee."

Quinn stood there, watching her mother read the newspaper and honestly sit there acting like nothing in the world happened the day before. She shrugged and went with it. Quinn grabbed the coffee pot and poured herself a cup and joined her mother at the kitchen island.

"Any plans today, Mom?"

"Church luncheon for Mrs. Fitz."

"Cool. Have fu-"

"You're coming with me."

Quinn knew it was Judy's form of punishment without actually bringing anything up. Church equaled washing away sins. Not necessarily the drinking because they were Catholic, after all, but more for the rather compromising position that she and Rachel were found in. At least a church luncheon would be easier punishment than being kicked out or disowned.

Punishment at church came by washing dishes during and after the luncheon which was actually better than being outside and listening to all of the women talk about their various physical ailments and scolding Quinn for not attending church regularly all summer. Quinn shot a text to Rachel while she had a break from washing the dishes coming in to her and hoped to whoever was listening that Rachel hadn't been banned from talking to her.

_Hope u didnt get in 2 much trouble_

The response took a few minutes to come but Quinn was relieved at its appearance.

_My dads were disappointed but they understand I'm going to rebel. I've been assigned to help power wash the outside of the house and clean the gutters today._

_Be careful. Mom dragged me to a church thing. Washing dishes._

_Talk to you later? :)_

Quinn smiled down at her phone and felt heat rise to her cheeks. _Of course_

"Fabray! Dishes!"

Quinn groaned and turned back to see the countertop piled high with trays and plates and she groaned. Today was so not what she wanted to be doing. As Quinn let the hot water scald her hands while she scrubbed the plates, she couldn't help but think about what had gotten her there in the first place. And it made her smile. The taste of Rachel, the smell of Rachel, the feel of Rachel. It made the heat from her cheeks spread through her body and things she most definitely should not have thought about at church cross her mind.

As people started leaving the church banquet hall there were more dishes to wash and more getting told that she wasn't moving fast enough. Quinn saw her mother out of the corner of her eye come in to the kitchen and grab a pair of rubber gloves out of the drawer. This wasn't what she needed...but it was what she was going to get.

"I talked to Father Josiah. He's agreed to meet with you after you're finished here."

"Mom..."

"It's not a choice."

Quinn had known Father Josiah since she could remember. He had moved from the church she'd gone to before moving to Lima to the church they were currently attending. She had only ever been in his office once since the move and that was after she'd had Beth and he wanted to personally welcome her back after her mother told him about her return to celibacy club. She found herself again in his office after finishing up the dishes, her hands red from the hot water.

"How are you doing, Quinn?" he asked with a solemn expression.

"Fine. Enjoying the summer."

"Your mother asked me to talk to you, to find out if there's anything going on."

"Not really."

"Lying is a sin, Quinn."

"Look, whatever she told you is nothing."

"Your pregnancy is something that we can learn from. You've rehabilitated yourself beautifully and the congregation finds you a prime example of the kind of life to lead after what you went through. But your mother mentioned...other things."

"You mean what happened yesterday?"

"Homosexuality...Quinn, it's not something people will forgive you for."

Quinn rolled her eyes and scoffed. "That's hypocritical. They'll forgive premarital sex but not liking girls? And who even said I was gay? Maybe I like both. Or maybe just Ra...chel."

It wasn't that Quinn didn't know that she liked Rachel beyond really, really enjoying kissing her. It was that she refused to acknowledge it. At least until she spilled her guts to none other but a church official. Rachel was her friend. That's all they could be. Rachel was in love with Finn, not Quinn. She went through enough with having two gay dads, she didn't need that extra stress. The drunken makeout probably didn't even mean a thing to her. After all, Rachel had made out with Blaine full-well knowing he was gay.

"Quinn, your behavior needs to stop."

"I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"By living a life of sin you're destining yourself for Hell. The Lord..."

"I don't care," Quinn growled, standing from her chair. "I don't care what anyone says. If God is going to punish me then let him. He's the only one that can judge me."

With that, Quinn stormed out of Father Josiah's office and out the front doors of the church to the parking lot where her mother was waiting.

"I've scheduled you to start seeing him every week," Judy said as she pulled out of the parking lot. "You need guidance."

"I'm not going."

"I can't harbor a sinner."

"Like you're a saint?"

"Lily, you have to stop this."

Dead silence rang out at the mention of the name. Quinn's jaw hung open slightly and her heart pounded in her chest waiting for the follow-up. All that came was more silence. She watched her mother's jaw clench and her knuckles turn white as her fingers gripped on to the steering wheel. When Quinn knew there wasn't going to be an answer, she spoke first.

"Where is she?"

"I don't know," Judy whispered, a distinct hoarseness in her voice. "I'll tell you now what I told you three years ago – she's not part of this family anymore."

"Why?"

"She's not good for us."

"Because?"

"We're not having this discussion."

"She's your sister!"

Judy only shook her head and briefly glanced over at Quinn.

"You still need your roots touched up," she said, reaching over to attempt to touch the brown hair growing in. Quinn pushed her mother away and leaned her head against the window.

"No," Quinn growled. "I'm not going to be who you want me to be anymore."


	5. Chapter 5

**-Chapter 5-**

It wasn't until Wednesday that Quinn got to see Rachel again. Judy had the first part of the week off and refused to leave the house, imposing the same on Quinn. She mostly sat in the living room reading but any time Judy dozed off wherever she was, Quinn would dart to the study to try different combinations on her father's safe. She went through every possible combination she could think of, trying some twice or three times, to no avail.

Most of Rachel and Quinn's time spent that Wednesday was in silence until the afternoon when Quinn suggested they go for a dip in the pool to beat the sweltering hot temperature. Quinn had spent the day before poking and prodding at the pump until it finally began working again and followed it up with getting the chemical balance back to normal and all of the dead bugs cleaned out. Rachel quickly went to her house and returned with swimwear and both dove into the refreshingly cool water. Quinn let her body carry her, floating on to her back and closing her eyes, reveling in the sensation of hot sun and cold water caressing her skin. She could hear Rachel swimming around underwater and felt the waves generated by movement. Eventually there was a soft voice calling her nickname which brought a smile to Quinn's face.

"Lucy Q?"

"Yeah?" Quinn pushed herself upright in the water, her toes barely touching while her chin bobbed on the surface.

"About Saturday...I just...I apologize. Alcohol lowers ones inhibitions and propels people to do incredibly out of character things."

"It's fine," Quinn said with a shrug.

"Are you sure? I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me or think that I might attack you with affection at any given moment."

"I said it's fine, Rachel. You love Finn. I know it, you know it, the whole damn world knows you love Finn." Quinn spun quickly and took off toward the deep end, her arms and legs propelling her to the opposite side of the pool from Rachel. She gripped onto the concrete and took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. She hadn't meant to snap at Rachel, her frustration just came before her filter could kick in.

"I know you're frustrated."

Quinn screamed and jumped, Rachel's sudden appearance beside her startling the blonde. Her head hit the bottom of the diving board which made Rachel scream and frantically try to grab onto Quinn's anything to check if she was okay.

"Lucy Q! Are you bleeding? Do you have a con—umph-"

Rachel dipped below the water and sprang back up, sputtering and clawing her way near whatever she could grab which just happened to be Quinn, who was holding onto the diving board with one hand and her throbbing head with the other.

"Rachel! Calm down!"

"My eyes...burning...vocal cords...ruined..."

"You're fine, just stop flailing!"

Rachel finally settled down, one arm around Quinn's neck to steady herself and the other rubbing her eyes to get the burn of the chlorine to subside. All Quinn could do was keep her grip on the board and rub her head, periodically checking for blood. When she was sure that there were no cuts, she reached around to hold Rachel by the waist.

"Are you alright?" Quinn asked.

Rachel finally blinked her eyes open and slipped her other arm around Quinn's neck.

"I think so. Hopefully there was no permanent damage to my vocal cords. Are you alright?"

Quinn winced a little when Rachel reached up to touch the back of the blonde's head. It was apparent that she would be sore for a few days at least.

"I'm good."

"Any dizziness or blurred vision?"

Quinn shook her head and gripped a little tighter to the diving board and to Rachel's waist to keep the brunette from slipping away. She was a little surprised when Rachel tightened her own grip...and even more surprised when Rachel leaned in and pressed a heated kiss to Quinn's lips. Not even remotely thinking about objecting, Quinn responded. Her tongue dueled with Rachel's, her fingernails gripped on to soft flesh. It was Rachel who pulled away first.

"I'm so sorry!" Rachel cried, attempting to scramble out of Quinn's grip. "I...I don't know what came over me!"

"Rachel!"

"I don't understand this. I mean, certainly I find you rather intoxicating and quite beautiful and for some reason-"

"Rachel!"

"-I just can't help myself. You're an excellent-"

"Berry!"

"-kisser but I'm just not sure how you feel or how I feel, even. It's a very complicated matter. I'm very much in love with Finn – at least I thought I was until now because-"

"I'm not going to get a word in, am I?"

"-I see fireworks when I kiss you, whereas with Finn it was more like...a bottle rocket. No explosions or violins in the background. At first I thought it was just the alcohol but I think there's a possibility I might actually have feelings for you which is very odd and cliché seeing as how you hated me and I was incredibly jealous of you not but mere months ago."

Quinn blinked, waiting for Rachel to continue but all that happened was dark brown eyes meeting hazel and Quinn smiling a little.

"I'm not gay," Quinn said.

Rachel's dejected look made Quinn chuckle.

"But I like you," the blonde continued. "I'm allowed to like both, you know?"

"Certainly. I very much understand bisexuality. Brittany is bisexual, isn't she?"

"Brittany just loves everyone. What's she have to do with it?"

"Nothing, really. I mean, have you ever-"

"No. I mean, Santana offered a couple times but she was drunk and I was trying to be president of the celibacy club."

Rachel smiled and moved to cup Quinn's cheek with her hand to pull her in for a languid, passionate kiss, not quite as animalistic as the previous one, but still filled with as much feeling and heat. Quinn could feel her body begin to tingle, tension pulling low in her abdomen as Rachel's tongue danced slowly with hers. She honestly could've continued for several more hours but she knew her mother would be home soon and if Judy caught the pair once again in a compromising position Quinn was positive she would be sent off to a boarding school in Europe or something equally as horrible.

"We have to stop," Quinn gasped, forcing herself to pull away. "She'll be home soon."

With an understanding nod, Rachel leaned in for one more chaste kiss before pushing off of the pool wall to the ladder, Quinn following right behind her.

They took a few more minutes at the front door in saying goodbye than normal due to Rachel being pinned against it and Quinn's hands gripping firmly to her waist. Luckily for them both, Judy pulled in the garage just as Rachel was turning on to her street.

Dinner for Quinn was silent save for the sound of silverware on plates. Even though it was Chinese take-out, Judy had insisted on setting the table and having dinner together. Not so much as verbally insisted but she had glared at Quinn and cleared her throat when the blonde moved to get up on a bar stool to eat her cashew chicken and shrimp fried rice.

"Why are we eating in here?" Quinn asked, finally breaking the silence.

Judy looked up and swallowed her bite of lo mein followed by a sip of wine. "Family time."

"Seriously?" Quinn quirked an eyebrow and tilted her head, showing her obvious disbelief.

"Father Josiah said it might help with your..." Judy glanced up and down at her daughter and shook her head. "Your _problem_."

"What problem?" Quinn glared at her mother, daring her to say it but knowing full well she wouldn't.

"I won't get in to this with you, Quinn."

"Just say it."

"Don't test me."

"I'm not gay," Quinn said, a smirk pulling at her lips. She waited for her mother's look of relief before adding, "I'm bisexual."

Judy's small smile dropped and the look of disappointment Quinn had seen the night she left the house with her bags packed, headed to Finn's, had replaced it. Quinn tucked her lower lip between her teeth and waited for the response, desperately trying not to show the growing fear in her stomach that she was about to be told to get out of the house yet again. Although she knew she would be welcomed in the Berry house (the only place she would dare to go) she knew that being thrown out would separate her from the one potential piece of information that could open the many doors to the many unanswered questions she had about her life.

Instead of the expected "you can pack your bags", all that came was Judy setting her fork down, finishing her glass of wine, and standing up to head to the kitchen, taking hers and Quinn's plates with her. Rather than storming up to her room like she normally would, Quinn followed her mother quietly and peered in to the kitchen, making sure not to be seen. She watched as her mother scraped the plates of food into the trash can and dropped them in to the sink. For a moment, she stared at them and gripped on to the sink before bringing one hand up to wipe away a few tears Quinn saw sliding down her cheek.

"Please God, help her," Judy whispered. "I don't want to lose her, too."

Quinn lost her balance momentarily but not before the door to the kitchen squeaked a little. She jumped back, knowing she'd probably been seen. When she looked back through the crack in the door her mother was washing dishes, her face void of any emotion and dry of any tears. It was the first time that Quinn thought that maybe she wasn't alone in the need for someone to love her unconditionally.

XXXXXXXXXX

"It's very peculiar," Rachel mused. "Your mother is quite good at hiding emotions. Much like you, if I may say so."

It was the first thing Quinn had spilled to Rachel that night when she picked up the phone to call her after her mother had gone to sleep. Rachel being Rachel, she had to analyze it and give Quinn her full report the next day over lemonade and cookies at the Berry house.

"I certainly wouldn't say that she's the worst mother you could have, Lucy Q. It sounds like she's honestly trying to find her place in your life and attempting to be a better mother than when your father lived there. I mean, following the confession of your sexuality she could've easily thrown you out again. Or sent you to an exorcist."

"An exorcist? Really?"

"They still exist."

"Okay, Rachel."

XXXXXXXXXX

Over the next two days Quinn was left to fend for herself since her mother was fighting Russell in court. The blonde was always in bed by the time her mother got home to avoid finding out how much her father didn't want her. She knew he'd want to see her even less when, on the second day, Quinn showed up on Rachel Berry's doorstep with a box of hair dye.

"Are you sure about this, Lucy Q?" Rachel asked as Quinn dragged a kitchen chair into the downstairs bathroom to set up. "This is damaging to your hair. Why not just let it grow out?"

"I've been doing it since before freshman year, I'll be fine. I'm sick of hearing that I need my roots touched up."

"Alright," Rachel sighed. "But if it turns out horribly wrong, don't blame me."

The color matched Quinn's dark roots perfectly. She didn't miss the twinkle in Rachel's eye when they were finished or how she practically dragged Quinn up to her bedroom to make out for a good half-hour after Quinn's now brown hair had dried.

Judy Fabray only shook her head and sighed. At dinner she looked at Quinn disapprovingly but never said a word.

XXXXXXXXXX

"I'm selling the house."

Quinn almost choked on her bite of chicken when her mother dropped the bomb over dinner a week after the divorce proceedings had finished.

Dinner had become a nightly 'thing' when Judy was there. Usually the meals were made on Saturday or Sunday and frozen to be thawed that day. The homemade meals began when Judy had commented that Quinn wasn't in as good of shape as she had been at the start of the summer; she blamed it on the take-out. So Quinn was subjected to perfectly portioned and balanced meals at dinnertime. It's not that she wanted to gain the weight back, she just didn't want to panic about every pound gained. She knew she could work it off quickly.

"It's too big," Judy said. "We don't need five bedrooms. I found a nice three-bedroom, two and a half bathroom house a few blocks from here. The previous owners have promised the pool will be up and running by the time we move in. I already have a buyer lined up."

"Okay," Quinn said with a shrug. "When do we start packing?"

"Tomorrow. The buyer wants to be in by the end of next week. I've been talking to him ever since I got the court date."

Quinn shrugged again. She wasn't really concerned with where they were moving since it was still in Lima. And, of course, she would make sure the safe came with them.

It wasn't until Quinn discovered that her house was three doors down from Rachel that she honestly gave a damn where she and her mother lived. It was slightly terrifying, though, when the three Berrys showed up on her front doorstep with food before they even moved in. Judy took it politely and thanked them, shooting a little glare at Rachel who grinned widely at Quinn before bouncing off the front porch. Surprisingly, Judy actually served the food for their last dinner in the old house.

It didn't take long at all for them to pack up what was left of their house and move it. One room Quinn watched like a hawk was her father's study the day the movers came. It seemed like she was gone for five minutes and when she went back to check the study, the safe was gone. She watched one of the men take it out and put it on the moving truck. She knew it had to have been opened for it to be removed from the floor which meant her mother had the combination.

Judy was still working through the move which left Quinn and Rachel to decorate Quinn's new room. She'd chosen a room overlooking the back yard and near a tree, Rachel pointed out. A tree that would be very easy to climb. The walls of her new room were plain beige, just like the rest of the rooms. As soon as the sale of their old house and the purchase of their new one were both finalized, Judy had promised that they would redecorate.

As Quinn unpacked she watched closely for absolutely anything her mother touched that might hold a clue. When she spotted it, her heart tugged and a lump rose in her throat. Her mother's locked jewelry box. With a small slip of paper sticking out of it. She knew that was it.


	6. Chapter 6

**-Chapter 6-**

"I haven't seen Rachel lately."

The observation by her mother nearly knocked Quinn out of her chair. Once able to breathe again, Quinn swallowed her broccoli and set her fork down. Her heart raced as she glanced up at her mother whose eyes were focused on her own plate and pushing her food around with a fork. Quinn attempted to formulate words in her mouth that would walk the tightrope she knew she was about to cross but all she could manage to muster was barely a mumble.

"I didn't figure you'd want to see her."

"I suppose you'll do what you want. I couldn't stop you from getting pregnant, I can't stop this."

"So..." Quinn questioned, not wanting to push boundaries for the first time.

"So if I'm home, I don't want to see," Judy paused, taking a quick glance up from her plate, "anything. At all."

"Okay."

"I won't support it... but I can't stop it."

XXXXXXXXXX

For the first time since Quinn had first encountered Rachel, the brunette was speechless. She had half a bite of ice cream dripping from her spoon and her mouth was open as she sat across the Fabray's dining room table from Quinn whose mouth mouth split into a wide grin.

"We can't...y'know, _do_ anything but...yeah."

"I can honestly say I'm shocked," Rachel finally said. "I never expected that kind of step to be taken."

Quinn shrugged. "It's better than nothing."

Rachel finally took her bite of ice cream and with a triumphant nod, she smiled. "Now, about getting in to that safe."

"I think the combination is in my mom's jewelry box."

"That's too simple, there has to be a catch."

"She locks her bedroom door and the jewelry box."

"You could easily pick those."

"The door, yeah. Not the box."

Rachel's mouth was almost turned into a frown until she sat up excitedly and fumbled across the table to grab Quinn's phone. Quinn, not one to question the other brunette, only shrugged.

"I know of someone who might be of assistance and, lucky for us, she returned from her summer vacation roughly thirty-six hours ago."

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows. "Rachel..."

"While she isn't my first choice as a friend, she is definitely in my top three for people with whom I would commit crime – should I ever feel the need. Like now, for instance."

With her eyes focused on the phone, Quinn's worry grew a little when it finally hit her what Rachel was about to do. She took a deep breath as Rachel hit send and turned the phone on to speaker before setting it down on the table to let it ring.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure. Noah isn't available so, the obvious choice is-"

"_Ay dios mio_, what the hell do you want, Fabray? I'm trying to get my cuddle on."

"Good afternoon, Santana! And Brittany, I presume."

"Please tell me you killed Quinn and stole her phone, Berry, because that is the _only_ way I'm going to talk to you."

"I'm alive," Quinn sighed. "Rachel and I need your help."

"Unless it's about the best way to off you-"

"We need to break in to something," Rachel cut her off. "And I assumed you might be able to help us out."

Quinn furrowed her eyebrows at the rustling of sheets and she could almost see Santana when the Latina began grilling her: eyebrows furrowed and eyes shifting.

"Wait a minute. Since when do you two like each other enough to even be in the same room let alone break in to something? Are you guys finally doing it?"

"Long story," Quinn said. "Are you going to help out or not?"

"Depends. What do I get for it?"

"Dinner at Breadstix," Rachel answered. "On us."

"Throw in you publicly giving me the first solo in glee club this year and I'll do it."

Quinn's eyes widened as they slowly made their way to Rachel, her brow furrowed in thought and chewing on her lower lip. She knew that Rachel would say no; there was no way that the brunette would ever give up a solo in glee club.

"Never-"

"I'll do it," Rachel cut Quinn off. "The first solo handed to me I will publicly announce to the club that I'd prefer for you to take it."

"Way to sell out, Berry. I'll see you bitches tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Rachel shrieked. "But Santana-"

"I wants to gets my cuddle on. You ca- hold on. What, B?...What the hell? I'm not telling them that!"

Quinn arched her eyebrow as she listened to her friends argue over the phone, loud whispers revealing nothing.

"Fine. Brittany wants me to ask if you guys want to join us. Y'know...for things."

Rachel's jaw dropped, Quinn only rolled her eyes and groaned.

"Tell her thanks for the offer but no. We haven't even...I mean...we've...it's..."

"We'll see you tomorrow, Santana," Rachel said. The brunette pushed the red button on Quinn's phone, her smile lighting up the room. "This will be exciting!"

"You just gave up a solo for me."

"Yes?"

Quinn felt the heat rise to her cheeks and knew that they were rosy red; she chewed on her lower lip and reached across the table to take Rachel's hand.

"That's really...sweet."

"Well you are my...we're, you know. Dating?"

"Are we?"

"I was under the assumption that we were doing so. If you'd rather keep the relationship purely physical – I mean, I must admit that I do have feelings for you and so it wouldn't exactly be purely physical on my part-"

"Rachel?"

"Yes, Lucy Q?"

"You talk too much."

Rachel grinned, blush tinging her cheeks pink. Quinn took a deep breath, squeezed Rachel's hand and smiled.

"So are you my girlfriend?" Quinn whispered shyly, feeling heat rise to her cheeks.

"Am I?"

Quinn shrugged. "Do you want to be?"

It wasn't a verbal 'yes' but Quinn figured that Rachel practically leaping across the table and into Quinn's lap in less than a second was a good thing. Soon Rachel's lips were on hers and Quinn was wrapping her arms around Rachel's back and sneaking them up the girl's shirt.

XXXXXXXXXX

Quinn didn't sleep at all that night. She knew that somewhere around whenever the hell she felt like it, Santana would show up at her house and get through the locks keeping Quinn from years of unanswered questions. It would only be a matter of minutes and she could quite possibly know everything about herself she'd tried to figure out.

Rachel was, of course, there early the next morning and helped pass the time much better than Quinn would have if she were alone. It was like Santana had planned it perfectly. Just as Rachel was slowly moving her hand up Quinn's stomach with no sign of stopping, the doorbell rang.

"You've got to be kidding me," Quinn grumbled.

"It's alright, Lucy Q. When the time is right, it'll be perfect."

Quinn scowled when she opened the front door, Santana stood with Brittany by her side and a knowing smirk on her face.

"Awesome, my very first twatswat," the Latina said, shoving her way through the front door. "I like this house better. It doesn't scream 'Jesus'. Also, Q, nice hair."

"You screamed Jesus this morning."

"Could have done without that info, Britt. Thanks, Santana."

Brittany shrugged. "It's true."

"Whatever," Santana said. "Can we just get on with the breaking into things?"

Quinn led Rachel, Santana, and Brittany up the stairs and to the first doorway on the left, her mother's room, where the lock on the door taunted them. Santana pushed her way to the doorknob and Quinn watched as she inspected it momentarily before pulling a small, black case out of her pocket and carefully selected the proper tools to pick the lock.

"You look like you've done this before, Santana."

"It's a Lima Heights Adjacent thing."

"Cut it out Santana, you live in Lima Heights. In a bigger house than my old one."

"Shut up, Fabray. How am I supposed to be a badass if everyone knows my dad is like, rich or whatever?"

"So, really," Rachel said, "where did you learn this?"

"Puckerman, duh. I helped him put the frogs in your locker."

"Hmph." Rachel crossed her arms over her chest and Quinn could only wrap an arm around her waist and pull her in.

"Almost," Santana growled, her attention focused back on the task at hand.

There was a distinct click and Santana pulled her tools out and pushed the door open. She gestured to the other three to go inside and followed closely behind. It was the first time Quinn had actually seen her mothers bedroom since the move. Her case of crowns had disappeared, she knew they had been boxed up and the case donated. There were pictures dotting the walls: Quinn, her older sister, and, shockingly, Lucy.

"Yeah, the nose job did you good."

Surprisingly, it was Rachel who actually said anything. "Shut up, Lopez."

Quinn turned to look down at Rachel, her jaw clamped and her fist curled at her side.

"Calm your tits, _Berry_."

"Quinn was, is, and always will be the prettiest girl I've ever met."

"That's disgusting."

"Can you be nice for one day?" Quinn asked. "Seriously. You can leave after you unlock the box, I don't care."

"Whatever. Where is it?"

Quinn opened the top drawer of her mother's dresser and pulled out the locked jewelry box, the small piece of paper having been tucked back in. She was pushed out of the way by Santana who began inspecting the lock carefully before taking a deep breath and beginning her work.

It took a bit longer than the door lock due to the box being a more complex lock. Santana had to try three different tools before she finally turned the pick and the unmistakable 'click' was heard.

"There you go."

"Thank you, Santana. You can go now."

"Hell no, I want to know what you're hijacking."

"I'm not stealing anything."

Quinn opened the box carefully, as if something were going to explode when she did. Her mother's jewelry box was much barer than the last time she had seen it. She noticed that most all of the jewelry her father had ever bought was gone, save for the wedding and engagement rings that had been absent from Judy's finger for over a year. They were there, in a small box.

Those weren't what Quinn was after, though. She spotted the corner of the white paper sticking up between two necklaces and she grabbed it, the six numbers on it were in her mother's handwriting.

"Twelve, thirty-four, fifty-six?" Santana read. "Really? You couldn't have guessed that? Who actually has to write that down?"

"Shut up." Quinn shoved past Santana and right to her mother's closet where she knew the safe had to be due to the fact that she'd searched the rest of the house and not found a thing. She flung the door open and dropped to her knees, the safe right there staring at her. Without warning, Rachel was kneeling to her left and Santana to her right with Brittany on the other side of Santana.

"Well?"

"I'm getting to it, S."

"What exactly is 'it', anyway?"

"I'll tell you later."

With shaking hands, Quinn reached forward and spun the dial to zero. Twelve right. Thirty-four left. Fifty-six right.

"You ready?" Rachel whispered.

"Ready for what? What the hell? Is this thing a bomb?"

"I'm the bomb."

"We know, Britt. I'm just kind of nervous."

"Shit, we're all gonna die."

"This morning you said if you died today you'd die happy because it was the best org-"

"Thank you for that insight into yours and Santana's sex life," Rachel said. "But I'm not sure this is the right time."

Brittany only shrugged.

Slowly, Quinn's fingers trailed from the dial to the handle of the safe which turned with ease and the door swung open.

"Someone turn the light on," Quinn said. "I can't see."


	7. Chapter 7

**-Chapter 7-**

_Slowly, Quinn's fingers trailed from the dial to the handle of the safe which turned with ease and the door swung open._

_"Someone turn the light on," Quinn said. "I can't see."_

Rachel immediately jumped up and hit the switch by the closet door, illuminating the space and giving Quinn plenty of light to see the inside of the safe. She furrowed her eyebrows and stretched forward, her hand reaching into the safe and all around. She pulled it back, nothing in it.

The safe was completely empty.

"Damn it!" Quinn screeched. Rachel jumped a little as Quinn shot to her feet and stormed out of her mother's bedroom, headed for her own. She flung the door shut and began pacing the floor, grabbing objects and random and throwing them across the room. Pictures, pillows, a hairbrush...one by one things crashed into the wall, some of them chipping the paint.

Russell had to have the papers, that was the only explanation. Quinn had searched that house up one side and down the other and had found absolutely nothing. When she finally ran out of things to throw she collapsed on her bed and curled around a pillow, clutching the stuffed lamb to her chest.

"I'm not going in there, Berry. You go."

"Of course I have every intention of going in, Santana. I merely suggested we all go. She needs support."

"I'm not getting shit thrown at me."

"I believe the anger has ceased."

Quinn sighed at the sound of whispers outside of her bedroom door. She didn't respond, only let Rachel and Santana bicker at each other.

"It's her life."

"Quinn is in need of friends to help her right now. Must I re-explain everything?"

"It's her business if she wants to go chasing after her aunt or whatever. I just wanted dinner."

"How would you feel if you were in her situation? Scared and with unanswered questions?"

Quinn heard a pause followed by Santana's signature growl.

"I'd stop being a pussy and get some answers. Have you even tried anything other than fucking Google?"

"We're working on it."

"No, 'working on it' would be busting in to wherever the hell those papers are and getting them. You know what? I'm not screwing around with this."

Quinn jerked as her bedroom door flung open and Santana marched in, her eyes darting around the bedroom before she grabbed a bag and went to Quinn's closet. Rachel stepped in and moved to the bed, settling on the edge of it and pulling Quinn's head into her lap. Standing nearby, Brittany stared at the pictures on Quinn's dresser.

"Santana! You can't violate her things like that!" Rachel shrieked as Santana started packing Quinn's clothes.

"Shut it, Berry. Go home and pack your shit. We're going on a road trip."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh sweet!" Brittany began bouncing around the room picking up the objects that lay scattered on the floor and tossing them on Quinn's bed. "Come on, Q, road trip! You love road trips." The blonde landed beside Quinn and flung an arm over her stomach prompting Rachel to scowl a little.

"I don't know," Quinn whispered.

"The papers are at your dad's house, right? Rach—I mean, the dwarf said since they weren't here that the jerk probably had them. So we gots to get our road trip on. You said he's in like Cleveland or something, right?"

Quinn nodded. "There's some stuff with his address on it."

"So let's go. Leave your mom a note and tell her you'll be back in a few days."

"It's a three hour drive," Rachel said.

"Yeah, so?" Santana tossed the bag of Quinn's clothes on the bed and walked out of the bedroom. "My aunt is in San Diego all summer, we can crash at her place," the Latina yelled. "She told me to use it whenever." Santana had armfuls of bathroom things when she returned and tossed them in to Quinn's bag. "I keep a bag packed in my car for me and Brittz for whenever we feel like getting the hell out of here. Let's get your shit, Berry."

Quinn found herself being pulled up by Brittany and was almost halfway over the blonde's shoulder before she struggled out of her grip. Brittany was smiling when Quinn's feet touched the floor again and her fingers gently touched the ends of Quinn's hair.

"I like this better."

"Thanks Brittany."

"Santana wants you to be happy, don't let the bitchiness trick you."

"Let's go, bitches!"

Quinn gave a small smile and hugged Brittany, letting the blonde squeeze her tight in an almost forgotten embrace that always used to make her feel infinitely better. Brittany hugs were pure and filled with nothing but love, always.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You know if you had just listened to me and gone to pack your shit while I was getting Tubbers ready to go we could've been on the road?"

"It's very important for me to make sure I have all of the necessary-"

"Nevermind, we still wouldn't be on the road."

"Hmph."

Brittany had Quinn snuggled in her arms while Santana lounged in Rachel's chair, all of them watching the girl meticulously pack her things, count and re-count to make sure she had plenty of outfits in her garment bag, and then head to the bathroom.

"Your girlfriend needs to hurry her ass up."

"She'll be ready soon."

"When did you get all soft, Fabray?"

Quinn snorted. "Speak for yourself. Why are you doing this?"

"Because I know if you keep relying on Streisand that you'll never get anywhere."

"And how would this affect you?"

"I don't need your crying, sobbing ass getting snot all over me again. And you can't go any shorter with your hair before the golf team starts recruiting you."

"Can't you just admit that you're doing it to help me?"

Santana's eyes shifted and she squirmed a little in her seat bringing a smile to Quinn's face. She knew she had the Latina cornered.

"Okay listen," Santana said, leaning forward, "this doesn't leave this room, okay? I like you, Fabray. Sure you're a bitch and you ratted me out but whatever, we settled that. You're my best friend and I'd do anything for you. I don't want you going through all this shit to get to whatever the hell will make you happy. Quickest way to point B is a straight line and I'm getting your ass there."

"But you're lebanese."

"Britt, that's not the...whatever."

"That's incredibly sweet, Santana," Rachel said from the bathroom door, a wide grin splitting her face. "I always knew that somewhere in your ice-encapsulated heart you had a soft spot."

Quinn could only grin when Santana tossed a stuffed animal in Rachel's direction.

"Shut up, Berry."

"Well ladies, shall we, as Santana would say, 'get our road trip on'?"

"I know I'm hot and whatever but there's no way you could ever pull off Lima Heights Adjacent."

"S..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Whatever. Let's bust outta here."

XXXXXXXXXX

"A...Appliance!"

"We're not even out of the city limits, Berry."

"B...Me."

"Britt-"

"C...Santana is a cu-"

"Oh come on Fabray!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Quinn stared out the window, watching other cars go by as Santana sped toward Cleveland on I-71 after stopping in Upper Sandusky to get snacks and gas up the car. Rachel was snoring with her head on Quinn's lap (she could've sworn she saw Santana buy Dramamine at the truck stop) and Brittany had her iPod buds in her ears, a book on her lap. They'd played two rounds of the Alphabet Game and were in the middle of a third when Rachel had passed out and the car got suddenly quieter.

"What's she reading?" Quinn finally asked to break the silence. Santana had tried for fifteen minutes to find a good radio station but gave up when she almost swerved into a semi.

"_Harry Potter_. For the millionth time. She's still waiting on her acceptance letter."

"Explains why she went as Luna for Halloween freshman year."

"She's convinced they're related."

"Hm." Quinn nodded and rested her head back on the glass, her eyes darting to each of the cars coming toward them on the opposite side of the highway.

"What's with this woman, Q? Why find her? She hasn't tried to find you."

"I don't know," Quinn sighed. "There's just something about her. It's like she'll be able to answer everything I don't know about myself."

"What's there to explain? You're Quinn Fabray."

"She's the only one that will tell me about Lucy."

"Still not getting it."

"You should. You're an expert in not knowing who you are." Quinn darted her eyes up to look in the rearview mirror and meet Santana's.

"No, I'm an expert in not admitting who I am."

"It's not like everyone doesn't already know."

"Yeah, but if I don't admit it they they don't know for sure. Are you going to walk down the halls when school starts and tell everyone you're messing around with Rachel?"

Quinn didn't have a response for that. Her mother, Santana, and Brittany were one thing. The whole school was a completely different thing. She turned her head to look down at Rachel, who was not looking her most attractive with drool trickling out of one corner of her mouth and onto the small travel pillow on Quinn's lap. Right then it didn't matter. Rachel was there for her.

"I thought so."

"I think Lord Tubbington might be an animagus."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Lucy Q, are we there yet?"

"Lucy Q? Oh my God, that is so fucking lame."

"Shut it, Santana. Rachel, go back to sleep."

"Mkay."

"Rachel has wrackspurts."

XXXXXXXXXX

It had begun to rain by the time they saw the Cleveland skyline. Drops of water pelted Santana's car and Brittany tried to count them before giving up and slipping her hand into Santana's. Rachel finally woke up, her eyes droopy and drool still on the corner of her mouth when she sat up. Quinn carefully picked the pillow up by its corner and handed it over to her girlfriend.

"I guess this explains why you always have new pillowcases."

"I'm highly embarrassed by this," Rachel mumbled. "I feel as though I've been drugged."

"It's just Dramamine."

"Santana!"

"Calm yourself, Fabray. I didn't want her getting sick and puking all over my car. You don't think I noticed her turning green and locking herself in the airplane bathroom after we took off?"

"While I appreciate your concern, Santana," Rachel said, "I would like it if you had told me you were going to drug me."

"It's not my fault you didn't notice it with the Tylenol."

"Hmph."

They arrived at Santana's aunt's apartment complex as the worst of the storm began passing overhead. Luckily the complex had a parking garage and Santana navigated her way up to the second level and the spot next to her aunt's little blue sport car. Rachel practically dragged her bag across the ground to the building entrance.

It wasn't a huge apartment but it was a roof over their heads for a couple of nights.

"Brittz and I get the bed. You two figure out whatever. I think the couch pulls out."

"I vote that since we plan on staying for two nights that we alternate," Rachel said, a yawn escaping from her lips. "Tonight you two can have the bed and Quinn and I will have the pullout. Tomorrow night, we switch."

"Or, I do whats I wants since this is my aunt's place."

"There's no food in here," Brittany called from the kitchen. "Should we go shopping?"

"I believe that is highly advisable. I saw a small grocery store on our way here, just a couple of blocks down."

"I'm not going back out there," Santana scoffed. The Latina dropped to the couch and grabbed the remote to start flipping through channels on TV before settling on _Lockup Raw_.

"That's barbaric," Rachel noted, pointing at a scene of two prison inmates fighting. "Why would anyone film this? Is this real?" The short brunette dropped to the floor, eyes fixated on the television. "Is that a SWAT team? What's this? Cell extraction? What does that mean?"

"We'll go!" Brittany grabbed her jacket in one hand and Quinn's arm in the other. Quinn had no chance to protest before she was pulled out the door and down a hallway to a set of stairs. Simultaneously trying to put her jacket on and keeping up with Brittany almost caused her to fall down the stairs but Quinn made it out relatively unscathed.

"It's this way," Brittany said, grabbing Quinn's arm again and pulling her down the street. It wasn't pouring down rain anymore but Quinn really would've liked an umbrella. Brittany, however, was content to literally skip down the street.

"Brit, slow down!"

"I know you can run, come on!"

Quinn rolled her eyes and jogged to keep up with her friend, having to skid to a halt when Brittany suddenly turned into the small shop that Rachel had mentioned. Brittany grabbed a cart and promptly climbed into the basket leaving Quinn to push.

"So what's so important?"

"Hm?"

"Important. About your aunt."

"I just want to ask her some questions."

"I get that."

Quinn slowly walked through the aisles, Brittany grabbed whatever she could reach which mostly ended up being macaroni and cheese, lunchables, fruit snacks, and goldfish.

"What do you want to find out? Like, what are you going to ask? I took journalism, I could help with the questions."

"I don't really know," Quinn sighed. She grabbed a few bags of lettuce and some dressing she'd seen in the Berry's refrigerator for Rachel. There wasn't much of a selection of vegan food but Quinn did her best.

"What do you think was in the safe?"

"I don't know that, either."

"We'll find out."

"I hope so."

"We will. Santana won't give up."

Brittany climbed out of the cart and pulled it toward the registers leaving Quinn to shake her head and smile. The blonde pulled out a credit card and swiped it to pay for the food and they each grabbed armfuls of bags. It had almost quit raining by the time they got out of the store and so they took their time walking the path back to the apartment building.

When the pair arrived back at the apartment they found Rachel still sitting on the floor with her eyes glued to the TV and Santana asleep on the couch. There was still the prison show on TV.

"Rachel..."

"It's like an entirely different world, Quinn! These prisoners, they have their own systems and cultures...it's extremely fascinating."

"Right. I'm going to put the food away."

"And people say I'm the weird one."

XXXXXXXXXX

"This is really disturbing. Don't they know how to be quiet?"

"Nope. You'll get used to it."

"How does one get used to the sound of their two best friends having intercourse in the next room?"

"At least they're not in here with us."

"You make an excellent point."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Wake up, bitches. We have staking out to do!"

Quinn groaned when the sound of Santana's voice carried through the apartment. There was a spring in her back and Rachel's chin digging into her collarbone. She prayed that Rachel hadn't drooled that night. Lucky for her, when Rachel shifted there was no sign of saliva anywhere on her.

"_Someone_ kept us up all night," Rachel growled.

"Shoulda picked up earplugs. Someone cook breakfast, will you?"

Knowing it was up to her, Quinn rolled out of bed and padded to the kitchen to start eggs and vegan egg substitute. Brittany helped Rachel pack bag lunches and snacks for the stake out of the Fabray house; Santana grabbed a GPS from her aunt's kitchen and let Quinn program in the address she'd found on a few papers her mother had left on the kitchen island.

It took twenty minutes and two wrong turns to get to Russell Fabray's new house. It wasn't as extravagant as the old Fabray house but it still screamed "look at how much money I have". Santana parked her car across the street, pulled out a pair of binoculars from her glovebox, and the foursome waited to see some kind of movement.

"He should be at work," Quinn said. "I don't know about his girlfriend."

"We'll just wait and see," Rachel said. "Patience is a virtue."

It only took an hour for them to figure out that Russell's girlfriend was home. Brittany spotted her in an upstairs window talking on the phone.

"Now what?" Quinn growled, crossing her arms over her chest and throwing her head back. "We can't go inside."

"We'll see if she leaves," Santana said, taking the binoculars from Brittany. "She looks younger than your sister, Q. Nasty."

XXXXXXXXXX

"A...This delicious red apple!"

"Don't make me drug you again, Berry."

XXXXXXXXXX

Four hours in to the stakeout the moment the foursome was waiting for finally came. The garage door opened and a silver sports car backed out of the driveway. A glimpse showed an empty garage which meant that Russell had in fact been at work and now his mistress was leaving the house empty. All four girls ducked down in their seats until the woman sped away.

"Let's go," Santana ordered, grabbing her purse.

Quinn quickly looked around as they darted across the street, searching for any sign of anyone watching them. She followed Santana and Brittany, Rachel gripping on to the back of her shirt, as they walked around the back of the house to search for an open window.

"It's the middle of summer," Rachel whispered, "no one will have windows open in this weather."

"Check the sliding door on the balcony. He never left the old one locked."

Once again checking to make sure no one was watching, they slipped up the steps of the back deck to the doors leading to the master suite from the outside. Santana checked the door and, true to history, it was unlocked.

"Stupid prick," Santana mumbled. "Smurf, stay here. Britt, go to a front window. Q and I will check the house."

"Should we have code names?"

"No B, just...just go look out."

Quinn followed Santana around the master suite, looking for any clues. Santana ducked down to check under the bed, Quinn went through the closet. While Santana rummaged through the dresser drawers, Quinn crept down the hallway and opened doors until she found her father's study.

"Santana! Come help me!"

In a split second, Santana was in the study and going through shelves while Quinn went through the desk. Just as Santana opened the closet door, Quinn's fingers touched an envelope that looked scarily familiar. The feel of the paper underneath her fingertips sent a chill up Quinn's spine. She picked the thick envelope up slowly and her heart jumped up in her throat when she saw on the front in thick, red letters the word "CONFIDENTIAL".

"S-Santana."

"What?"

"I found it," Quinn choked. "I found it."

"Good, let's get the hell out of here."

"San! Quinn! She's here! She's back!"

"Shit!" Quinn hissed. She slammed the desk drawer shut and followed Santana out of the room and back down the hall to the master bedroom.

"She came to the front door," Brittany said. "What now?"

"We have to get out," Quinn whispered.

The telltale sign of a door slam was completely absent, panicking Quinn. She pushed past Brittany and Santana to peer over the railing. The angle was just right where she could see the woman dig through her bag and then stomp her foot. There was a set of keys hanging right by the front door.

"I think she forgot her keys," Quinn said. "She's going back to the car."

"Close call," Santana mumbled. "Let's get out of here."

"The call just got closer," Rachel hissed. "She's coming this way!"

Quinn didn't even think, she just darted down the hallway with the paper packet in her arms. She heard Rachel shut the sliding door and the patter of feet following her. The foursome ended up in a spare bedroom, luckily there was a window to the front of the house with a perfect view of the driveway where the car was still parked.

"Get your keys, bitch," Santana mumbled.

It was a draw, it was like she had to do it. Quinn gravitated toward the door and quietly turned the handle to peer out into the hallway.

"Lucy Q! Get back here!"

"Shhh!" Quinn swatted at Rachel's hand and crept down the hallway where she heard rustling around downstairs. When she reached the second floor banister she crouched down low and crawled until she saw a head of hair moving around. The woman's hair was jet black with bright pink streaks. She was wearing a black tanktop and ripped jeans with tattoos covering her arms.

There was a creak behind her and Quinn froze when the woman a floor down froze as well and peered up to the second story. She wasn't sure how she ended up back in the spare bedroom but she had gotten there in a hurry.

"Russell?" a voice called. "Lola? Are you in today?"

"Lola?" Santana mouthed.

Quinn shrugged.

"Oh God," Rachel choked. "Oh God, Quinn. Quinn, I can't go to prison. I can't. Women's prisons aren't a walk in the park, you know? I saw it on _Lockup_...Th-they probably wouldn't let me sing. The bathrooms were terrible. They have no vegan meals! We have to get out of here."

"Be quiet, dwarf!"

"You didn't see the things I saw, Santana! It was horrible!"

Quinn spared Rachel from physical harm by clapping an hand over the girl's mouth and silently pleading for her to be quiet. Rachel finally stopped hyperventilating and Quinn let go of her girlfriend to turn her attention back to the door. The front door slam made her jump but other than that, no one dared move.

"Someone has to go check," Quinn whispered.

It was Santana who moved first, peering out of the second story window and breathing a sigh of relief.

"Car's gone," Santana said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"I couldn't agree more," Rachel said. It took Quinn jogging to keep up with her to get back to the master bedroom and out the sliding glass door.

"Ay dios mio," Santana hissed, slamming the car door. "That was too close. So what the hell is in that?"

Quinn pulled the envelope close to her chest and shrugged. "I don't know."

"Is it a bird?"

"Just open it, Lucy Q."

"I will...just...give me some time."

Santana shrugged and started the car, taking the path back to her aunt's apartment complex. Quinn never let the papers go, simply held them to her chest and stared out the window to watch the buildings go by. The envelope that could answer her questions felt like a weight holding her down. Her heart beat against it, she swore she could practically feel it moving.

"I know it's nerve wracking," Rachel said. "Whenever you're ready."

Quinn let herself be led from the car to the apartment when Santana parked in the garage; the world around her was hazy except for the envelope still held tight to her chest. She dropped to the center of the couch with Rachel on one side of her, Santana on the other, and Brittany climbed up on the back of the couch with one knee on either side of Quinn's shoulders, peering down her front.

It felt like tearing a part of herself away but Quinn knew that she had to do it right then or it would never be done. She pulled the envelope away from her chest and flipped it to the back side. The packing tape was still there, just as it had been years before. Her fingers fumbled for a moment before getting it open and slipping open the flap. Before she could reach in to pull out the papers, a smaller sheet slipped out and landed on the coffee table.

"It's your birth certificate," Rachel whispered. "Oh my God."


	8. Chapter 8

**-Chapter 8-**  
>"Holy shit, Q. Did you know about this?"<p>

"Quinn?"

"Lucy Q?"

Quinn could barely hear her friends over the sound of blood rushing in her ears, the letters on her birth certificate she had never seen. It made sense but it didn't. She knew it, but it was still a shock to her system. Something inside of her had known for a while. A very long while. But seeing the words on the paper absolutely confirmed it.

_**MOTHER'S NAME:**__ LILY ELIZABETH HUNTER_

And at the bottom of the paper, her parents listed as "adoptive parents". Lucy Quinn Fabray was not, nor had she ever been, an actual Fabray. At least not the way she saw it now. But the questions began piling up. Everything her parents ever told her, everything they ever said. And it was too much.

The edges of Quinn's vision began to go fuzzy and dark and before she knew it she was falling, Santana and Rachel's voices becoming more distant until nothing around her seemed to exist anymore.

XXXXXXXXXX

Wherever Quinn had landed was beyond bright. And if she were dead, the voice of God sounded a lot like Santana. Unless of course if she were in Hell, which would make much more sense.

Quinn groaned and opened her eyes slowly, the bright light disappearing, to see the barely illuminated figure of Santana standing over her with an actual worried look on her face.

"Hey, Q. Don't ever fucking do that to me again, okay?"

"What?"

"Seriously, you scared the living shit out of me with the eyes rolling back in the head thing. Oh, and there was the _not waking the fuck up_."

Quinn could only try to swallow, her mouth feeling like cotton. In a moment there was a straw at her lips which she graciously accepted and Brittany's blue eyes staring right into hers.

"Hi Britt," she managed to whisper, her throat still a little dry.

"Did you die?"

"No, B. I'm fine."

"Okay."

There was a pounding in Quinn's head as she maneuvered to sit up and drink the rest of the water. Rachel was nowhere in sight which sent a moment of panic through Quinn until she realized that her girlfriend was curled up in a ball at the foot of the bed.

"I had to give her more Dramamine," Santana said. "She wanted to call an ambulance."

"You really have got to stop drugging my girlfriend."

"It won't hurt her. My dad's a doctor, I know my shit."

Quinn could only shake her head and double check to make sure Rachel was still breathing. She was, and there was a puddle of drool on her pillow. While disgusting, it at least let Quinn know that things were normal. Except the fact that she was adopted, there was that.

"How'd I get in here?"

"I carried you," Brittany answered, climbing into bed with a fresh glass of water. "Santana called her dad. She was scared."

Quinn smirked up at her best friend who crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"I didn't want you to die and it be on me. I'm not going to prison."

"I thought you were a badass, Lopez?"

"Shut the fuck up, Fabray."

"Love you, too."

"Look, get some sleep. We'll figure this shit out in the morning."

XXXXXXXXXX

Quinn didn't sleep. She watched the red numbers on the digital clock switch from one to the next as Rachel shifted at the bottom of the bed and Brittany and Santana slept soundly next to her. Figuring she wasn't doing any good just laying there, Quinn quietly slipped out of bed and crept back to the living room where the envelope lay on the coffee table, papers obviously having been pulled out of it and gone through.

With a deep breath and curiosity prickling her fingertips, Quinn pulled the thick stacks of papers out of the envelope and began going through them. On top were the adoption papers, most of which Quinn didn't understand, but a few things were clear. Lily was her mother and the adoption was closed not only until Quinn's 18th birthday, but literally forever. It was clear that no one was ever going to tell her. There were court transcripts prior to Quinn's birth date outlining the terms of adoption which included a large sum of money to be paid to Lily to go to college on.

It was hard not to be angry. Lily had sold her to Russell and Judy. On the other hand, Quinn knew firsthand how her father liked to manipulate and control. It was easy to see why Lily would take that road. But there was only one way to find out Lily's motives for sure.

"Hey."

Rachel's soft voice made Quinn jump a little but she smiled and patted the space next to her for Rachel to take. Quinn wrapped an arm around Rachel's shoulders, pulling her in to let the girl's head rest on her shoulder.

"I know it's a lot to take in," Rachel said, "but it's kind of a relief, isn't it?"

"Yeah. There's just a lot of questions."

"I-I went through the papers."

Quinn stiffened a little at the confession, expecting it to have been Santana or even Brittany. But not Rachel. Obviously sensing the tension, Rachel sat up and turned to look at Quinn and tuck the still newly-brown hair back behind her ear.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy Q. I just...I was worried about you and Santana threatened to lock me in a closet. I mean...it's clear in these contracts that you...that Lily received..."

"I know, Rachel," Quinn growled between bare teeth. "Why would you go through this?"

"I wanted to be prepared to help depending on the result of the paperwork. It...it's obvious she didn't...I mean...It's a lot like what Shelby did."

"No it's not, Rachel. It's nothing like that."

"I know you don't want to believe it, Lucy Q, but it's a similar situation and you can't deny it."

When Rachel reached toward Quinn, the former blonde shrugged away and stood, taking the papers on the coffee table with her.

"You don't know that."

"I don't want you getting hurt."

"Just because things didn't work out with Shelby doesn't mean that I can't try with Lily," Quinn said, her voice becoming weak at the mention of the woman's name. "I have to find out, Rachel. I have to know why she did it."

"Lucy Q..."

"If you're not going to support this..."

"I love you."

Quinn stumbled back, Rachel's words lingering in her ears as dark chocolate eyes met hazel.

"I love you, Lucy Q. I love you and I don't want to see you hurt any more."

"Two months ago you were in love with Finn."

"I said I loved you Quinn. Not that I was in love with you – those things take time. I mean that I love you in that I care about you very, very much. More than most other people. And I could very easily see myself falling in love with you and being in a lasting relationship with you. For now, though, I love you. I love you and I don't want anything to hurt you."

Cautiously, as if something might shatter, Quinn sat back down on the sofa, her knee bumping Rachel's. She tossed the papers back on the coffee table and tried to lace her hands together on her lap but she was stopped with Rachel's hands took hers instead.

"You have a connection with your dads," Quinn said. "I...don't. With anyone. She might be my only shot. I have to try. And..." Quinn took a deep breath and squeezed Rachel's hands. With a smile, the words slipped past her lips. "I love you too. Just like you said. But I need to do this."

Quinn leaned in, her lips mere millemeters from Rachel's, and tension low in her stomach.

"Well isn't that fucking sweet?"

"Santana!"

"Lopez!"

Santana smirked and Quinn growled as her friend sauntered over to the couch and dropped to the other side of Rachel, setting her glass of milk on the coffee table and picking up the packet of papers.

"What's our next move?" The Latina asked, pulling out stacks of documents. "Saw it, saw it, don't care, don't care..."

"You went through it, too?"

"Whatever. Hey, what's this?"

Santana pulled out a single sheet of paper, what looked to be a copy of a GED diploma. It had been stuck between some pages of the court transcripts.

"She got her GED right before I was born," Quinn noted, pointing at the date two months before her birth.

"So?"

"So, Santana," Rachel interjected, "that means Lily must have started college soon after. The question is, _where_."

"Holy Toledo."

Quinn glanced up at Brittany who had appeared basically out of thin air and promptly dropped to the floor in front of her. The blonde had a huge grin on her face and her blue eyes where shining with pride.

"There was a paper in there or something that said University of Toledo."

"My dad went there," Quinn mumbled. "So?"

"So the paper has her name on it," Santana said, thrusting a piece of paper across Rachel and into Quinn's face. "Look, it's a tuition statement."

"How could anyone get into UT with only a GED?" Rachel asked. "Surely she would've had to go to community college first."

"My dad probably pulled some strings with the alumni board." Quinn grabbed the paper and inspected it, hoping to find some other forgotten clue. There was nothing.

"Okay," Santana said, standing up, "so we go up to Toledo..."

"San, I can't just _go_ to Toledo. Even if she barely speaks to me, my mom is probably starting to get pissed."

"We'll call them in the morning," Rachel yawned. "It's currently three in the morning and I'm still rather tired because _someone_ keeps slipping me sleep-inducing over the counter medicines."

"Suck it up."

"Hmph. Quinn and I call rights to the bed!"

"Oh hell no, dwarf, you'll ruin my aunt's pillow cases with your drool!"

It was a race to the bedroom and Quinn knew there would be no solution if Rachel and Santana both made up their minds. It was Brittany who solved it, though, by jumping into the middle of the bed and pulling Rachel into her front while Santana reluctantly spooned her from behind. Quinn only shrugged and joined them, wrapping an arm around Rachel's waist and letting her girlfriend nuzzle into her chest.

"I love you," Rachel whispered.

"Love you too."

"I love everyone."

XXXXXXXXXX

Surprising herself, Quinn actually got sleep that night and she wasn't the first one awake in the morning. Even more surprisingly was the smell of food that wasn't burning being what woke her up. Upon further investigation, however, it was revealed that they were fresh doughnuts.

"Good morning!" Rachel chirped, greeting Quinn with a kiss and a chocolate glazed doughnut. "You slept well."

"One of you snores like a fucking bear," Santana growled.

"Bears aren't so bad, you know? They like to snuggle. I found one in the sewers last summer."

No one asked questions.

After polishing off half a dozen doughnuts (and two bagels for Rachel), the four sat around the coffee table – Rachel and Quinn on one side and Brittany and Santana on the other, leaning against the couch, with Quinn's phone sitting on the table. There was no question on what they had to do...just who was going to do it.

"If no one else will," Rachel finally sighed. "I suppose this will be a good opportunity to practice my vocal acting. Santana, I will need paper and a pen to write a prepared script."

Santana dug in the small drawer of the coffee table and produced a small pad of paper and a pen. While Rachel was busy scribbling, Santana searched her phone for the number they would need to get whatever they could. When Rachel was finally satisfied, Santana dialed the number and handed the phone back to let the girl (hopefully) do her magic. Rachel glanced at Quinn and then switched the phone to speaker as it rang.

"University of Toledo - admissions office this is Jane, can I help you?"

"Yes, Jane," Rachel said, deepening her tone, "my name is Barbra Peters and I recently received a job application for my office and I wanted to check the validity of the applicant's degree she obtained from your establishment."

"Can I have the name?"

"Lily Hunter would be the name she had while taking classes. She began in..."

"Ninety-three," Jane answered, ticking of a computer in the background. "Yes, Lily Hunter. Graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Biology...she did come back for her Master's but it was under Forester, her married name. She grad-"

Rachel quickly hit the end button and dropped the phone on the coffee table, the sound of it hitting the surface echoing off of the apartment walls. It was Santana who took action first, doing something with her phone that Quinn was unsure of until the Latina turned her phone around to a name and address on her screen.

"I found one," Santana said. "She's in Dayton."

Quinn reached out slowly and took the phone in her hand, holding it as if it were made of glass and would shatter with any sudden movement. There it was on her screen. Lily's married name with an address and a phone number. The only thing that tore Quinn's eyes away was the sound of paper tearing, Rachel holding the pen and folding the piece of paper with the address on it.

"So," Santana said with a smile, "road trip?"

For once, Quinn actually wasn't sure. This was really it right in front of her. The answer she gave didn't surprise her but it sure as hell shocked everyone else.

"I want to think about it."

"What the hell?"

"I thought you wanted this, Lucy Q."

"I just want to go home first."

"Can Lord Tubbington come when we go?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"A is for...Applebee's!"

"B is for I'm gonna bust your ass if I have to listen to this all the way home, Berry."

"Must you take the fun out of everything, Santana?"

"Ugh. Fine. B is for Best Buy."


	9. Chapter 9

**-Chapter 9-**  
>In order to waste as much time as possible before she had to be home, Quinn helped Rachel unload her things from Santana's trunk and get them into the Berry house. In an effort to delay going home even further, the pair ended up on Rachel's bed with Quinn straddling her girlfriend's hips and kissing down her neck with Rachel's hands roaming up her back.<p>

"Wait, Lucy Q."

Quinn growled a little, not too enthused about having to disconnect her lips from Rachel's neck, and sat up with Rachel following to prop herself up on her elbows.

"Yeah, Rach?"

"Do you remember how I verbally expressed the sentiment that I love you?"

"Uh, yeah. That was yesterday."

"Well...I...sometimes people like to physically express that sentiment and if you also recall from the beginning of the summer I told you that I prefer physical activity."

Quinn blinked, her "Rachel's vague language" translator kicking in and registering exactly what her girlfriend was trying to tell her.

"So what you're saying is..."

"What I'm saying is that I believe I'm ready to take the next step."

"But...you've never...Are you sure about this?"

"I haven't because I wasn't ready. I am now."

All Quinn could do was nod furiously and dive back in for a kiss, the feel of Rachel smiling against her lips inviting her for more. Quinn darted out her tongue, the sting of watermelon lip gloss from Rachel's lips a welcome feeling. She gasped for air when Rachel's hips canted upward and ground against her own which sent shockwaves straight to Quinn's core.

It was Rachel who made the first big move, pulling Quinn's shirt up and over her head and placing Quinn's right hand on top button of her blouse. Taking the hint, Quinn began unbuttoning one at a time revealing nothing but skin underneath. Her hands shook a little as fingertips touched skin. With each slight graze, Rachel gasped a little, her eyes closing and her tongue darting out to lick her own lips.

"Lucy Q?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not made of glass."

"I know," Quinn whispered. "I just...I'm not..."

"Oh God!"

The force of Rachel sitting up almost knocked Quinn back, Rachel grabbing her shirt to hold it closed and covering her eyes with her other hand as she shook her head and mumbled apologies.

"I'm so sorry Lucy Q. I never thought that perhaps you might not be ready...Oh God, I'm so, so sorry."

"No, Rachel. No." Quinn reached out and slipped a hand under Rachel's shirt on her shoulder, pulling Rachel's other hand away from her face to look into chocolate brown eyes. "I just want this to be perfect for you."

Rachel nodded a bit and Quinn felt fabric slip from covering her fingertips as Rachel's shirt dropped off of her shoulders. A shock that made Quinn gasp shot through her body as Rachel's fingertips pressed against her skin and she reached around and unhooked Quinn's bra, the garment falling off of her shoulders and tossed aside.

Their eyes were still locked when Rachel smiled, slipped her fingers through Quinn's hair, and whispered, "You're so amazing. So much more than beautiful."

To hide the tears prickling her eyes, Quinn dropped her head to Rachel's shoulder and started kissing a trail down to the girl's collar bone. Pale skin collided with tan for quite possibly one of the greatest feelings Quinn had experienced up to that point in her life. She peppered Rachel's chest with kisses as she made a trail between the girl's breasts, pausing momentarily to look up at Rachel's face, eyes closed and mouth open, panting. It made Quinn smile just a little before getting back to the task at hand and shifting over to envelop Rachel's left nipple with her mouth, tongue caressing the hard bud and teeth grazing it ever so gently. Her left hand seemed to move out of instinct to the other breast, taking it in her hand and moving her thumb over the nipple.

"Oh God," Rachel whimpered. "So good."

The taste of Rachel's skin under her tongue was sensational and made her crave it more. She moved her mouth to the other breast, her tongue taking in as much as it could until Rachel began to squirm a little and an impatient sigh came from her lips. Quinn pulled herself away from the delicious task to look up and meet Rachel's gaze, a small smile on the girl's lips.

"While that's incredibly enjoyable," Rachel said breathlessly, "I'm incredibly turned on right now. Very turned on. And I'd like something done about that."

Quinn swallowed hard and nodded, moving back up to capture Rachel's lips in a kiss. She felt her girlfriend move underneath her, squirming and shifting, and when she went to look she found Rachel's fingers hooked in her skirt, slipping it off of her hips.

"Oh...hi."

Rachel giggled a little as her hands slipped a little lower, Quinn sitting up a little to watch her every move. The skirt slipped lower and lower, it becoming incredibly apparent that Rachel had taken her underwear with it. It got to the point where Rachel could just kick the skirt off, leaving Quinn to stare at nothing but skin. Literally nothing but skin.

"Lucy Q?"

"Huh?"

"Now would be the time to..."

"Yeah, sorry."

"If you're uncomfortable with it I can do this myself. It's not like I haven't before."

"No, no. That's okay."

An image of Rachel with her hand between her own legs flashed through Quinn's mind and she licked her lips, a smirk crossing them, before her focus went back to the Rachel in front of her, ready and willing. Bracing herself on her left arm, Quinn's right traveled down Rachel's stomach, fingertips leaving behind a trail of goosebumps until she reached wet heat radiating onto her palm. Gently, Quinn pressed her fingertips down and ran them through the slick folds until she found Rachel's clit, making her girlfriend moan a little and arch her back. She moved her fingers in circles, mimicking motions she'd used herself to release built up tension when she was pregnant and in the times since then when Rachel would leave the house and leave Quinn with a need nothing else could satisfy.

Apparently this was a good thing because Rachel's hands went from gripping the blankets to Quinn's back and her fingertips dug into flesh ripping a groan from Quinn's throat and making her fingers move faster. It was almost a surprise to Quinn when the words, "don't stop, so close," were uttered from Rachel's lips. Even though her arm was burning and yelling for her to stop, Quinn didn't. She worked through the pain until Rachel jerked and groaned, gripping hard on to Quinn's back as she shuddered. Of course, Quinn couldn't help but feel a little triumphant, giving Rachel an orgasm on her first try.

Quinn grabbed a blanket from the foot of Rachel's bed before moving to lay next to her girlfriend, her head on the brunette's heaving chest and an arm around her waist, gripping tight.

"Wow," Rachel gasped. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either."

"I apologize that I didn't...last a bit longer."

"No, it's fine."

"It's just been a little while since I've...done anything. Which leads to-"

"Rachel? Too much talking."

Quinn shrieked a little when Rachel's response was to flip her over onto her back and settle her legs between Quinn's, skin pressed against skin aside from Quinn's shorts which were annoyingly in the way at that moment. Rachel obviously sensed that because it was she who took the initiative to strip them off of Quinn's legs and come back to attack her neck and collarbone with kisses and nips down her chest.

"Someone's eager," Quinn mumbled.

"Dads will be home soon," Rachel said, looking up momentarily. "And, to be perfectly honest, I've wanted to do this all summer."

"That's a good-oh yeah."

The sudden appearance of Rachel's mouth on her nipple, sucking and licking, made Quinn forget any coherent thought she had at the moment. Rachel's hands weren't like Puck's as they roamed her body, soft and small and absolutely perfect when one of them landed on her other breast and began caressing it with love instead of pawing at it like a wild animal.

Quinn's focus shifted when she felt fingertips begin making their way down between her legs and then the were _there_ and pressing against her clit in an oh-so-wonderful way. Rachel's mouth found its way back to Quinn's as she began moving her fingers, making Quinn buck her hips at the sensation and arch further into Rachel's touch. Rachel's hips had begun moving with the rhythm of her fingers and Quinn couldn't help but grip onto them and feel their bodies move together.

It made Quinn growl when her girlfriend stopped moving her fingers but before she could say anything there was pressure at her entrance and then Rachel was inside her and once again, one of the most amazing feelings she'd ever experienced.

"Is this okay?" Rachel whispered.

"Yeah...yeah."

Once again Rachel's hips began moving with her rhythm as she moved her fingers in and out making Quinn arch her back and grip a little tighter onto Rachel's hips. Rachel pushed deeper, hitting places inside of Quinn that made her see stars behind her eyes and beg for her not to stop. A few more thrusts and Quinn knew she needed something else. She was right on the edge and all she would need was a little more. She moved her right hand from Rachel's hip to between the pair of them and pressed her fingertips to her own clit.

"Don't stop," she choked. "Do not stop."

Rachel nodded and kept thrusting and with only a few circles around her clit, Quinn came undone moaning Rachel's name and pulling the girl in tight to her as shakes wracked her body and the orgasm coursed through her veins to every piece of her. It was beyond amazing. The world was hazy and Quinn felt like she weighed a ton when the high finally began subsiding. This time it was Rachel that grabbed the blanket and pulled it over to cover the pair as they curled into each other and cuddled.

"I don't think I can move," Quinn mumbled.

"It was quite fantastic and I will try to hold off longer next time."

"Okay," Quinn said with a smile.

"As much as I would love to snuggle for the remainder of the day and into the night, we should probably put clothes on seeing as how my dads will be home soon."

As much as she hated to do it, Quinn nodded and watched with almost disappointment as Rachel rolled away from her and sat up on the edge of her bed. The curvature of Rachel's back enticed Quinn and she dragged herself over to press a few kisses to tan skin and settle her head on Rachel's shoulder.

"I love you," Quinn whispered.

"I love you too, Lucy Q."

Just as Quinn was walking out the door with her duffel bag (after nearly having had sex again against the front door), Leroy pulled in the driveway and gave her a small wave before pulling into the garage. The short walk from the Berry house to her own gave Quinn time to figure out what she was going to say to her mother when she got home. She didn't know if she would tell her or not. What she would tell her if she did.

The front door was unlocked meaning that Quinn wasn't going to be alone when she got inside. Judy was there, sitting on the couch reading a magazine. Quinn caught her gaze momentarily before the woman's eyes went back to the pages in front of her.

"Hi," Quinn said, her eyes going to the floor. "Sorry I didn't call...we were busy."

"I'm just glad you left a note. So, Cleveland, hm?"

"Yeah, Santana's aunt has an apartment up there."

"Do anything interesting?"

Judy's eyes came up again and fell not on Quinn's face but on the duffel bag resting on her hip. When Quinn looked down she saw something that sent panic through her nerves. The envelope was sticking out of the side pocket, the bold letters "CONFIDENTIAL" clearly visible. Even though she knew she'd been caught, Quinn switched shoulders and shoved the envelope back down in her bag.

"There's some uh, lunch in the refrigerator," Judy said, her voice hoarse. "I made tuna salad."

"Mom..."

"Your hair is growing on me. I suppose I like it. And Rachel can come to dinner tonight if she likes. I know she doesn't like meat, we'll find something. Your other friends, too."

"Okay, mom."

She was halfway up the stairs when Quinn heard the magazine hit the table and peered down to see her mother leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her face buried in her hands.

"I can't lose you," Judy choked. "I'll do anything, Quinn."

Despite desperately wanting to turn around and run back to the living room, Quinn didn't. She continued up the stairs and to her room, finding it cleaned up and the chips in the wall paint repaired. All of the pictures, pillows, and other items she'd thrown were back in their places aside from the picture of she and Rachel that had been on her dresser. It was now on the nightstand next to her bed right by one of the pictures that Finn had taken of Quinn and Judy before prom that year. The second hadn't been in her room at all before she left but she had noticed it sitting on her mother's dresser.

It really hit her at that moment what her mother was trying to do in inviting Rachel, Brittany, and Santana to dinner. In complimenting her hair. She was trying to keep Quinn from leaving. She knew that Quinn knew the family's deepest, darkest secret and that it might cause her to leave if she ever found Lily. If she ever met her.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was six in the morning when Quinn awoke covered in sweat from another dream about Lily and she had been closer than ever to the woman before grey-blue eyes and chestnut hair had disappeared into darkness. The vision instantly sent adrenaline through Quinn's veins and she knew she wasn't going to get sleep so the only logical thing was to of course look through the papers for the millionth time like there would be something in there that would hold a definitive answer as to whether or not she should actually get in her car and drive to Dayton.

There was, of course, the same papers there had been all of the other times she looked. There were no answers to her questions and no spark or connection. Quinn knew the connection could only be made when she saw her. And there was a chance of that not even happening. But there was a chance that it could happen. A chance to have someone in her life that could see her through new eyes and take her or leave her as she was right there and then, not have to pretend to get used to things.

Something caught Quinn's eye in the judge's notes that she had either missed or read over and forgotten but nevertheless, it was there.

_Visitation rights: Requested repeatedly by Ms. Hunter. Denied by Mr. Fabray._

It was all Quinn needed. Lily wanted her. She shoved the papers back in the envelope and pulled on whatever clean jeans and polo she could find. After making herself look presentable she grabbed the piece of paper with Lily's address on it, grabbed her purse, and sprinted out her bedroom door. It took Quinn a few seconds to decide whether or not to leave a note for her mother. Her decision was made for her.

"Quinnie? Why are you up so early?"

Quinn turned back to the staircase where her mother was standing at the foot of it, hair thrown up in a messy bun and bathrobe pulled tight around herself.

"It's...I was going to..." The piece of paper burned in Quinn's hand and she averted her gaze above her mother's head. "Just a drive. Maybe hang out with Rachel later," Quinn lied. "I probably won't be home until late."

Judy nodded. "Be safe."

"Thanks." Quinn moved to head out the front door but a hand on her shoulder stopped her and she turned slowly, her mother's eyes focusing on every feature on her daughter's face.

"You look so much like her."

"I know," Quinn choked.

"Go," Judy whispered. "I know you need to."

"I'll be back."

Quinn didn't miss the barely audible, "I hope so" right before the front door shut behind her. She was just turning off of her street when her phone rang, Rachel's number flashing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"I don't mean to sound like a stalker, Lucy Q, but may I ask where you're going? I saw your car go by."

"Dayton," Quinn answered simply.

"Without me?"

"I don't know, I just didn't think you'd want to come."

"Of course I want to come! Turn around and come get me."

"Okay."

Rachel sprinted out of her house looking like she'd been ready for the adventure for hours, her hair and makeup done perfectly. She greeted Quinn with a kiss and an understanding smile before taking Quinn's hand in her own.

"Let's do this."

They were almost out of the city limits and Quinn's mind was dangerously far from focusing on driving, so much so that she almost missed the two pedestrians jaywalking across the street. Quinn slammed on her brakes and hit her horn and was met with the gaze of an angry Latina and a tall blonde.

"Watch what the hell you're doing, Fabray!" Santana yelled.

"I'm sorry," Quinn yelled out the window. "You were jaywalking!"

Santana only shrugged and trotted to the open window.

"Where the hell are you going, anyway?"

"Dayton."

"You're road tripping without us? Oh hellz no. Get out, bitch, I'm driving."

"Santana..."

"Listen Preggo, I've been dying to get behind the wheel of this and I have my chance now. I'm not letting you drive and wreck the shit out of it. Get in the back with your girlthing."

Quinn could only growl and get out, flip her seat forward, and hop in the back followed by Rachel. Santana and Brittany took their places in the drivers and passengers seats and in no time they were flying on the highway.

"Fuck Q. I'm stealing your car."

"I dare you to try."

"I could take you again."

"Shut up, Lopez."

"I love you too, Fabray."


	10. Chapter 10

**-Chapter 10-**

The apartment complex looked nice from the outside, fairly modern. Quinn took a few shaking breaths before she pressed the button to 322, still clutching the scrap of paper in her hand. As she waited she took a glance behind her; Rachel was only a few steps away, Santana and Brittany were standing on the sidewalk – Santana filing her nails and Brittany giving a reassuring smile.

"Can I help you?"

Quinn jumped, the soft feminine voice on the other line making her smile yet shake with nervousness.

"Lily Hunter?"

"Hunter is my maiden name, yes. Who are you?"

"I-I'm...It's..." Quinn took a deep breath and turned back to Rachel who only smiled and nodded. "Qu—Lucy. Lucy Fabray."

There was silence and, for a moment, Quinn feared the worst. At least until she heard the buzzer sound to let her in. Rachel dashed to her side as she opened the door and Santana and Brittany followed close behind.

When Quinn raised an eyebrow at the sudden appearance of Santana's hand on her shoulder she got a smirk in return.

"She might be a serial killer or something," Santana said with an eyeroll. "I mean, you share DNA and you're kind of psycho."

"Thanks, Santana."

The trio made their way to the bank of elevators and up to the third floor. It felt like the world was going in slow motion to Quinn but in a matter of seconds she was staring at a door with brass numbers reading "322". It was Brittany who reached up and knocked on the door seeing as how one of Quinn's hands was clutched tightly in Rachel's and the other practically pinned to her side with how close Santana had gotten to her.

It barely took three seconds before the door was open and Quinn was staring straight into stormy grey-blue eyes and chestnut brown hair framing Lily's face and cascading down her shoulders.

"Lucy..." It came as a whisper but it was all it took for Quinn to lunge forward and be taken into Lily's arms. The almost-forgotten familiarity of Lily's arms around her felt amazing. It felt warm. It felt like everything Quinn thought it would be. She gripped tight to Lily's back and let a sob escape into the woman's shoulder.

"It's okay sweetie," Lily whispered.

"Sorry," Quinn said, pulling away and sniffling. "It's...yeah."

Lily nodded and stepped aside, opening the door and motioning for all four girls to enter her apartment. The main area was one large room with a kitchen to the right and a seating area sunken into the floor. The outside wall was nothing but glass letting sunlight in. A quick glance around told Quinn right away that Lily had no other children but a large black and white portrait on the wall showed Lily and her husband. On either side of the portrait were framed college degrees, both with Lily's name on them.

"You're a doctor?" Santana quipped, inspecting the certificates.

"Physician's assistant," Lily replied. "I work at the children's hospital. Would any of you like something to drink?"

All four girls shook their heads and followed Lily to the seating area where they all managed to fit on one of the black leather sofas with Lily in a matching chair across the coffee table.

"I'm sorry that I just...showed up," Quinn said. "But I didn't know what else to do."

"It's alright," Lily said with a smile. "More than alright. I just can't believe you found me."

"It wasn't easy," Rachel chimed in. "Weeks of research and sleuthing coupled with obstacles and disappointments...it was rather taxing."

Quinn felt a hand on hers and knew Rachel was looking at her but didn't dare take her eyes off of Lily for fear that the woman might just disappear into nothingness as she had in so many dreams.

"But it was worth it or whatever." Santana shrugged.

"Who are you, exactly?"

"Oh, right," Quinn said. She tore her eyes away from Lily to look to her right at Brittany and Santana.

"Brittany and Santana, my best friends."

And then to her left where Rachel's glowing smile made the corners of Quinn's mouth tug upward.

"And my girlfriend, Rachel."

Quinn turned back to Lily whose expression wasn't entirely shocked but still a little startled. She tucked her lower lip between her teeth and squeezed Rachel's hand a little.

"They helped me find you."

Lily nodded. "So...why did you want to find me?"

Quinn took a deep breath and bit her lower lip before letting it spill out. "Because the only time in my life I ever felt really connected to someone was when I saw you on my fourth birthday. Then I started looking through things and...well...long story short I found this." Quinn dug through her bag and pulled out the large envelope she'd stolen from her father's house and handed it across the table to Lily. The woman took it and immediately pulled out the papers, Quinn's birth certificate falling out and landing on the table.

Lily glanced at it for a moment before looking back to the stack of papers.

"It was the worst decision I ever made in giving you up," she choked.

___**January, 1990**___

_Thirteen-year-old Lily Hunter sat in her parents' lawyer's office awaiting the reading of their will. She knew where she would end up and was slightly terrified because her brother-in-law's home was completely different from how she had grown up. When she walked in to Russell Fabray's home with her parents each time there was always tension and an air of superiority radiating from the man._

_Only now she wouldn't be able to escape it. One missed stop sign by a drunk driver and Lily's entire life was sent into a tailspin._

_**December, 1992**___

_Lily sat on the bathroom floor of her sister's house listening to the sounds of Judy and Russell Fabray play with their daughter below her in the living room. She listened to the giggles of the young girl and the coos of her sister and brother-in-law. Lily wished more than ever in that moment that her parents were alive because she knew that they would be the only ones to love her unconditionally. She saw how Russell looked at her and she'd seen firsthand how controlling he could be in a subtle way. How her sister had gone from compassionate and kind to practically emotionless and spineless when it came to her husband._

_And she knew what the reaction would be when they found out that she was eight weeks pregnant. She knew because its what she was told by Russell himself. That if she ever did anything to make him look bad in his rising career that, Judy's parents wishes be damned, Lily would be out of the house and completely cut off._

_"Lily?" Judy's voice echoed in to Lily's room and the brunette wiped her tears and pushed herself up off the floor. It was now or never._

_"Hi," Lily whispered._

_"Sweetie, dinner is almost ready. Come down and eat with us."_

_"I need to tell you something."_

_The fake smile dropped from her sister's face and Lily swallowed hard._

_"I-I'm pregnant."_

_Judy's mouth moved to say something but beside her, the door pushed open a little to reveal a very, very angry looking Russell._

_"What?"_

_"I'm so sorry," Lily pleaded. "I'm sorry. Please..."  
><em>_  
>"How dare you do this to me?" Russell growled. "After I took you in? I didn't have to let you live here you ungrateful brat!"<em>

_"Russ..."_

_"Thank God I got to you before the bad DNA took over, Judy. You," he pointed at Lily, "get out of my house."_

_"I don't have anywhere to go."_

_"Russell wait." Judy looked to Lily and back to her husband then back to Lily again with an almost reassuring gleam in her eyes. "I have an idea. We'll take the baby."_

_"What? Why would we take an abomination?"_

_"You said yourself you wanted another one. It's perfect. No one would have to know."_

_Lily furrowed her eyebrows and instinctively wrapped her arms around her lower stomach to protect her unborn child._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

__

_It was the most insane idea that Lily had ever heard. Judy was going to fake a pregnancy to keep questions from being asked; Lily would be taken out of public school and homeschooled by Judy and get her GED. The Fabrays would pay for all of the doctors bills, prenatal care, clothes, everything. And when the day came, they would go home with the baby and Lily would leave. She threatened them enough with keeping the baby and letting everyone know of their sick plan that Russell eventually agreed to pay for the first four years of Lily's college education. It was like something out of a soap opera._

_Despite the promises of her education, there were a few moments in her pregnancy where Lily contemplated telling Russell to go to hell and that she was keeping her baby away from his close-minded oppression. But she was constantly reminded that she had nowhere to go and no way she could possibly take care of a baby._

_XXXXXXXXXX_

__

_"Push Lily!"_

_Lily gripped her sister's hand as she cried out and brought a beautiful baby girl into the world. The nurses were in awe as they cleaned the little girl up and placed her in Judy's arms. Lily watched from her bed, stretching to see. She saw a glimpse of her baby girl but Russell blocked her view and that was the last time she saw her until after she graduated. Every year for Christmas and Lucy's birthday, Lily would scrape together what she could and send a little something to the Fabrays. She had no idea if Lucy ever got the little gifts but she always hoped._

_Coming to the Fabray house after she graduated was terrifying. Russell greeted her at the door and __with a growled whisper and Judy told her that she had five minutes and that was it. After that they didn't ever want to see or hear from her again. They didn't want _their _daughter tainted with Lily's bad decisions. Lily agreed with a nod of the head but after she held Lucy in her arms for those few precious moments she knew she couldn't be away from her. She begged the Fabrays to let her be part of Lucy's life but they refused and cited the paperwork that Lily had signed stating that she wasn't allowed to come in contact without their permission and unless she was willing to pay them right then and there the cost of the pregnancy and her college education, that she was to leave and never come back._

_With tears in her eyes, Lily passed off a little stuffed lamb to Judy. In return she got a pat on the shoulder and Judy slipping something into her pocket. Lily could do nothing but listen to the cries of her daughter as she walked out the front door of the house. When she got to her car she pulled what Judy had slipped her and found a picture of Lucy. It was all she would ever have._

_Lily thought about trying to find her daughter every now and then but she knew that Russell was probably just as powerful and manipulative as he had been. And she knew that Lucy would probably never be told of her biological mother's existence. She went through the motions of life: she met her husband, Joel Forester, and got married right before they both started grad school. He went on to get his MD, Lily was happy with her PA. It was mutual that neither of them wanted children and it wasn't until after they were married that Lily finally told him about Lucy._

_Joel was angry at first, understandably, but they eventually got through it and he promised his support in whatever might happen in the future._

_The picture of four-year-old Lucy Quinn was tucked away safely in Lily's sock drawer and she would pull it out every Christmas and birthday, wondering what her baby girl was up to and how she had grown up. She was always on her mind. Always._

Quinn took a shuddered breath and felt Rachel squeeze her hand. Rachel leaned over and pecked Quinn on the cheek before standing up and walking toward the door with Santana and Brittany following.

"It was nice meeting you Mrs. Forester," Rachel said.

"We'll be outside when you're ready, Q," Santana whispered as she passed.

When the apartment door clicked shut, Quinn turned her attention back to Lily. The woman still had tears prickling her eyes which she attempted to blink back. After a few silent moments she got up and joined Quinn on the couch.

"You're so pretty," Lily whispered. "When you were born all of the nurses were just...stunned."

Quinn nodded.

"Is there...is there anything you want to know? I just...I want to know everything about you."

"Well, we're a lot a like," Quinn started. It just came out after that. She couldn't stop it. Everything from the day she first met Lily, every thought about her, every doubt about her own life. What her parents put her through before high school. Getting pregnant. Giving up Beth. The whole summer. Falling for Rachel...everything.

Almost an hour passed and by the time she was finished there were tears streaming and Lily was pulling her into a hug.

"Wow," Lily said, shaking her head as she pulled away. "I don't think I've ever said that many words in one shot before. It's impressive."

Quinn had to laugh through her tears and went back for another hug, the feeling of connection only strengthening with each touch. It wasn't at all what Rachel had described with Shelby.

"So Russell the God-fearing Catholic is an adulterer?"

"Mmhmm. I caught a glimpse of her when I...when we broke into his house. She's pretty much exactly like Mo—um...yeah. Like she told me she was."

"You can call her 'mom', Lucy. She did raise you, you know?"

"Yeah, but...would you have sat by and watched me get thrown out when I got pregnant? You're...You mean something to me. A lot. I don't want this to be the only time I see you for sixteen years."

"Nor do I, sweetie," Lily said softly. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to just sit and talk with you. You're such an amazing young woman."

Quinn ducked her head and smiled, the warmth of Lily's hand over her own appearing suddenly and the warmth spreading straight to Quinn's heart. It felt like something was being healed. Filled. It felt like unconditional love.

"Listen," Lily said, "anytime you're in the area, anytime at all, I want to see you. You and your friends, anyone. You can stay for an hour or a week, I don't care. Just come see me again, okay?"

"What about your husband?"

"He'll understand. If you want to come spend a month here next summer, just tell me. We don't have a spare bedroom but both sofas pull out."

"I'd like that," Quinn managed to get out through the tears prickling her eyes.

"Sweetheart..."

Lily reached out to wipe away the tears but Quinn shook her head and sniffled a little bit, smiling as she reached up to dry her face.

"Happy tears," she said. "I just...I was really hoping for this. Rachel's adopted and her reunion didn't really go so well."

"I want you in my life," Lily said sternly. "I always have. I just was too cowardly to stand up and do anything about it."

"I guess that's a little bit of Fabray in me. I just do things."

"It's not all bad."

Quinn could only nod. She checked her watch and knew Santana was probably beyond impatience now and was probably torturing Rachel. Her small smile when she looked up told Lily that she had to go and Lily's eyes brimming with tears told Quinn that she understood.

"Your friends are waiting," Lily said. "And I know Joel will understand but..."

"Yeah," Quinn said. "I get it."

"Does Judy know you're here?"

Quinn nodded. "She didn't say anything, but she knows. She...before I left she told me I look just like you. She called me by your name a few times, even."

"Can you tell her I love her?"

Quinn nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell her."

With shaking knees, Quinn stood, her body almost rejecting moving toward the door. Her heart leaving behind another piece with Lily. Lily walked her to the door slowly; before she opened it she dug through the purse sitting on the table inside the door to pull out a business card and a pen. She scribbled a few things on the back of the card and handed it to Quinn – on the card were phone numbers and Lily's e-mail address.

"I guess I'll see you again sometime," Quinn mumbled.

"I don't want you to leave, either, sweetie."

Quinn lunged forward for one last hug, the business card clutched in her hand with the small piece of paper containing Lily's address. Lily's arms around her felt more safe and secure than any time either her mother or father had ever hugged her and for Quinn, it was one of the two places she felt like she belonged anymore. In Lily's arms and in Rachel's.

"I love you so much," Lily whispered.

Quinn choked back a sob and whispered, "I love you, too."

"Remember what I said. You're welcome here any time."

"I know," Quinn said with a nod. "Thank you."

"It's the least I can do for you."

With a nod, Quinn opened the door and stepped into the hallway. She put her hand up in a wave to Lily and got one in return before the door clicked shut and Quinn was left alone again. She made her way to the elevator and down to the building lobby where she saw her girlfriend and two best friends in the seating area: Rachel with a magazine and Santana with her head on Brittany's lap sound asleep.

Rachel's face lit up when she saw Quinn and she immediately dropped the magazine to dash to and hug her girlfriend.

"How'd it go?" Rachel asked.

"Amazing," Quinn said with a genuine smile. "She wants me to come see her anytime. She even mentioned spending a few weeks next summer if I wanted to."

Rachel nodded furiously and lurched up to hug Quinn again before wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her to the seating area where Santana had roused and Brittany was smiling brightly.

"Can we go now?" Santana growled. "I'm missing a _Law & Order_ marathon."

"Thanks for being so patient," Quinn said with a small smile. "And coming with me."

"Whatever. You're a shit driver and I didn't want you and Berry going up in flames. We at least need her to win Nationals."

"I love you too, Santana."

"Shut up, Berry."

The foursome made their way out of the building and were headed down the street where they had parked when Quinn heard her name, well, 'Lucy', being shouted. She looked around several times before Rachel tapped her on the shoulder and pointed up.

"Lucy!" Lily shouted from the balcony. "Don't forget to add me on Facebook!"

Quinn laughed and gave a thumbs up before waving and turning back to Rachel – who had a triumphant smirk on her face.

"I told you everyone had a Facebook."


	11. Epilogue

****Author's Note:** I just want to say thank you for all of the great comments. You guys keep me motivated! This was a blast to write and I loved it. *heart*  
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><p><strong>-Epilogue-<strong>  
>Judy Fabray's hand shook as she reached out and pressed the button on the outside of the apartment complex for apartment 322. She hadn't been snooping, really, her daughter had left a slip of paper with the name and address on it on her nightstand after she'd returned a few days before. The woman knew exactly what her daughter had been up to the moment she saw the note about going to Cleveland. The open safe door in her closet had confirmed it.<p>

With Quinn's intelligence and that girl Santana's delinquent behavior, there was no stopping them. Where Brittany fit in, Judy had no idea. Then again, if Santana was involved, Brittany always had been. And of course there was Rachel who Judy was sure was a sweet girl but she had the potential to break Quinn's heart which made it Judy's duty to dislike her just a little bit. And it wasn't that she didn't like Santana, Brittany, or the fact that her daughter had admitted to being bisexual. It was that she had always been afraid of what her husband would think.

After her parents died, Judy had been left with Russell, Lily, and her eldest daughter as her only family and family was something she was desperately afraid of losing again. However, with Russell out of the picture and the horrifying thought of losing her baby girl, she forced herself to strip her life of all fear of her husband and begin accepting Quinn for everything she was and would become.

"Hello?" a feminine voice came from the speaker.

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Lil...it...it's Judy."

There was a buzz almost immediately and Judy darted into the building and to the elevators, practically shaking as she prayed for them to move faster. When the doors finally opened she moved almost on instinct to find the apartment door. It opened before she could even knock.

"Judy," Lily gasped.

"Hi."

Judy moved first, lunging forward and pulling her little sister into a hug that was almost eighteen years in the making. It was a fresh start. It was family.

That night, Judy would return home and find her daughter in their living room with her laptop open and she would sit down and tell Quinn where she'd been all day and smile when she gave her the news that Lily and Joel would be coming up to Lima the next week to celebrate Quinn's eighteenth birthday. Quinn would shut her laptop and for the first time in her life, she and Judy would talk. They would about how Quinn found everything out, Judy's motives and how they got away with it, the fact that Judy was terrified of losing her daughter and would do anything to keep her from leaving. The conversation would end with a hug and both reaching for the tissues on the coffee table.

"So how do I do this Facebook everyone keeps talking about?"


End file.
